PTSD and paperwork

[embalmerswife]

Hubby got 70% PDRL combat related for PTSD. We are starting BBD. VA has sent us a huge packet of paperwork to prove his incidents or stressors that could have or did cause the PTSD. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that in 2007 VA was told that if you are diagnosed with PTSD on active duty, then VA has to accept that diagnosis??? If that's true why is VA sending all the paperwork? I thought Hubby would just have to see the VA contractor to determine the severity, not that he had it??? Help! I tried calling VA, but after 20 minutes of phone menus, I was about to have a violent moment.
Thanks!

[RikersIsland1]

February 15, 2008
VETERANS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD ON ACTIVE DUTY NO LONGER REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FURTHER EVIDENCE OF PTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, commended Veterans Affairs Secretary Peake for agreeing that veterans who are diagnosed with PTSD while on active duty should be recognized as having PTSD for VA purposes. This decision will end VA's requirement that veterans diagnosed with PTSD while on active duty provide additional evidence of exposure to specific stressors during their service in order to establish their diagnosis of PTSD. Responding to an inquiry from Chairman Akaka, Secretary Peake has directed the VA regional offices to no longer require such evidence but instead to immediately schedule examinations for such veterans in order to determine the severity of their PTSD for VA compensation purposes

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/scva08/scva021508-1.htm

[embalmerswife]

I have seen the article, but the regional office says they have no knowledge of the ruling and Hubby has to fill out the paperwork. I have referred them to the date of the article, but as one person told me today, they don't get paid to look things up just to check off the paperwork as it comes in. Any suggestions as to whom to call, write, etc.? Any idea if this was officially released via memo or some other piece of paperwork I might be able to get my hands on and attach to his paperwork??
Thanks!

[RikersIsland1]

Read these. hope this helps.

Vets No Longer Have To Prove PTSD - PTSD Specific Discussions/Claims/Issues - VA Claims Discussions - VBN - Message Board - Yuku

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_20...38cfr3.304.pdf

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=7&gl=us

[embalmerswife]

Thanks for the links! They were helpful. I have put in several calls to some top people in DC (one is Dr. Davis who was at the conference last week.) She has put me in touch with several other top people who are actually looking for an issued directive to the regional offices. Hubby's NARSUM documents that his PTSD is all combat-related from his mortuary affairs service. His PEB says PTSD combat-related. My question to everyone is why does he have to redocument over and over if it's already documented, how much paperwork and psych records does VA need? I, literally have about a twelve inch high pile of paperwork.
Plus, HIPAA says that psych records can't be released to the patient, nor do they have to be released to other doctors. Even psych summaries are released at the "discretion" of the treating pschiatrist. VA paperwork says to bring in any paperwork you have from treating psychiatrists, but it's illegal for a doctor to give those patients the paperwork and has been for at least three years. Plus lots of military psych docs are using this law to hide the fact that they are diagnosing people with "failure to readjust from combat" and "depressive disorder" as primary diagnosis so the military doesn't have to pay because those conditions are seen as an individuals problems, not caused by service. (Sorry for the cynical outlook!)

The colonel that called today is supposed to get back to me by Friday even if it's only to say she's still looking. I will update everyone as soon as I know. One of the many people I have talked to in the last week did say if he had "documentation" (read that as CAB, PH, etc.) that would count as the stressor and no futher documentation would be needed. I informed them that his company has put in the paperwork for a CAB, but as yet it is still "being processed." At Fort Lee that means they have lost the paperwork AGAIN. Our battalion SMaj can trace it to between battalion and group. Battalion says they have sent it up, group says they have never gotten it. ARGHHHHHH!!!!! IG has even started putting in calls because it's taking so long to get it processed here.

Sorry for the tirade! Thank you for the helpful information! You always provide very helpful links and it is much appreciated!

[RikersIsland1]

My question to all on this board is this. When they say that they sent it up. Did they send it up via email or did they via U.S./FEDEX/UPS mail? Seems to me that the most expedient way to send something is via email, so how can things get lost. If they sent it via mail is it because of the official signature of all parties that are required? Just asking.

[embalmerswife]

Battalion and group offices are in the buildings right across the street from each other. The person at battalion says they walked it over to group. Group says they never recieved it. Battalion says that's BS. The battalion SM took my husband into the battalion and group offices and told them to explain to my husband exactly how they "lost" the paperwork. Hubby has to go back in tomorrow to see the SMaj because he put both offices on notice that the paperwork needed to be "found" by tomorrow. We do have electronic copies of the initial paperwork minus the signatures, but our old CO from the Mortuary Affairs unit is in Kuwait now (we keep in contact.) He was transferred to WTU in late January. Next question, since we have electronic copies of the initial paperwork, can this be used as an official document for VA records-- it does have his CO in Iraq's signature. He also has several ARCOM's and CA from the commanding generals of the two bases he was at in Iraq that document that he processed over 1000 remains while he was there. He also has another award (whatever is above an ARCOM, my brain is fried at the moment) from Dover Port Mortuary from processing remains there also. I have all the accompanying paperwork to go with the awards. The Army counts this as combat-related stress, but everyone that we have talked to at a low-level at VA says it has to be "combat" (lock and load, shot down, IED). The CAB would mean we would just have to hand it in and not do another 25 pieces of paperwork documenting his PTSD stressors. I'm so tired of having to have him prove this over and over and over. I feel like we just start to make progress and then we have to tell somebody new. Everytime he has to "prove" his PTSD to another person, he takes two steps backward. Isn't the six weeks in the hospital and the twelve inch high stack of medical documentation, PEB ruling, and NARSUM enough???

[embalmerswife]

CAB paperwork was found. It had been sent back to the company level for a correction. Because we went and complained to the SgtMaj, it made it from company all the way back to group in 24 hours. Now it's sitting on someone's desk again, but SgtMaj is checking daily. That's helping alot. I have three separate special assistant's to the Sec of Vet Affairs working on the question about the combat related stressors if the Army already declared combat-related. Everyone agrees that if the military says it's combat-related that VA should accept that if they accept the PTSD diagnosis, but no one can find anything to back that up. I also asked everyone to dial the 1800 VA number and see how long it took to get through to a person, or even music. I'll update as soon as I get an answer.