Is this VA MSC's advice good?

Friends I just spoke to my VA MSC for the first time. I'm trying to fill out the VA 526EZ form where you list your conditions for VA examinations

1) Is the MSC someone to be trusted? Like does the MSC give advice that is in the Soldier's best interests or the government's best interests?
-I'm worried that I can't trust her because she said I only have four hours to sign the form from her contacting me but the form says I have five days.
-She wanted to fill out the claimed conditions for me but not list them all and she didn't fill out any other part of the form except the conditions
-She said I should only list conditions that have gotten worse from my last rating on the 526EZ form

2) Is she right that the VA 526EZ form is only for those conditions that have gotten worse? The MSC said I'll have an exam top-to-bottom and anything I've got will be identified then so I don't need to list all my conditions on the VA Form. Is this true? Or should I list everything I have anyway despite what the MSC Says?

She says she's trying to protect me against having my VA rating lowered for conditions where it's already maxed out like I have 40% for my back so I shouldn't list my back because the rating won't go up. But my back is going to be re-examined anyway because it's a MEB-referred condition.
 
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How long ago was your back awarded 40%? I was awarded 40% last year in AUG. This year I went through the med board and what they wrote on the DBQ was going to set me to 10-20%. I wrote a word document explaining the vast differences in between one CP exam from an MD with the DBQ's rating me at 40%. Then during the med board went to a CP exam where it looked closer to a 10-20% rating.

I tried to explain in the letter that how can these two DBQ's be so different. It has not improved and told them I was going to physical therapy 2-3 times a week for my back and receive multiple injections. With that they awarded me/kept the same the 40% because between the two doctor opinions the decision went to me in my favor for 40%.

Honestly you can ask to keep your ratings but the VA is going to do whatever they want. You have to fight for it. There is always a chance for reducing you.....However with the right documentation and medical records you should be fine. There is one condition of mine they did not raise which is BS because it was what triggered my med board in the first place. But rather then do a VARR (disagreeing with the VA's decision during the med board process) I decided to sign my 60% DOD and 90% ratings then the day after my retirement I filed a claim for increase on that condition I spoke about before.

The best advice I can give you is:

Go through this site (pebforum) thoroughly for good info those have shared in the past,
Study up on your conditions with the 38 CFR schedule of ratings
Ask anyone you know who has gone through the process.

I would trust this site before your MSC or PEBLO.

I hope this helps
 
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Thanks this is super helpful. And congrats on retirement and good for you for still being on here and helping. It was awarded 40% in December 2019 so I don't think I'll be able to compare the two like you did.

But you suggest the MSC may not be acting in the Soldier's best interests/may not give the best advice?

And I have several conditions like neck, back, bipolar, ptsd, ankle, etc. that all have VA ratings already. I'm wondering if I should list them on this VA 526EZ form or only list the conditions that have gotten worse since my last exams (December 2019) like the VA MSC says. But I'm worried if I don't list a condition then perhaps the DoD won't count it. I care mostly about the DoD %, more than the VA %.
 
Thank you. I finished OCT 2nd.
My opinion is that they work for the VA. There’s good ones and bad ones. Just like PEBLO’s. I would try to communicate by email because personally I like the time and date stamp on it.

I think you should be in pretty good shape if you have multiple referred conditions. Do you have a few?
 
Yes, back and PTSD are referred. The others aren't, and I'm wondering if I should list them on the VA form or not, do you have any thoughts on that? I have neck, ankle, bipolar that I could list on the VA claims form but I'm not sure if I should list them. The MSC coordinator says no, that just opens them up to the possibility of being lowered, but they could count as unfitting at the PEB (I have a P3 profile for the bipolar for which I've never had a C&P exam). My big question is if not listing them on the VA claims form prevents potentially prevents them from being looked at by the DOD. I'm not sure what I should include on the VA 526EZ, nothing, just my referred conditions, or all my conditions. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Thanks again for the advice and help.
 
Of course. That’s what this sites for. It’s all really a matter of choice man. I can only tell you what I would do.

I would list what you believe you can increase ( if that is what you want). Yes you can list whatever you want. However if you don’t have a P3/P4 profile for those things the DOD probably will not accept it for the DOD %. They would more then likely just affect your VA percentage.

I had my knee as a revered condition and mental health as well. I had a P3 profile on my knee for years….during IDES they said I haven’t gotten any treatment for my knee in the last year so they dropped it to a P2 (which is found fitting.

I don’t want to tell you what to do. That would be wrong of me to do. But you only have one chance for IDES and the Tricare. We all had that hard choice to make man. I went from 5 to 3 conditions after the MEB concluded. It’s all a game of chance and unfortunately.

On one hand your right they could lower your ratings for whatever you put down. But on the other….Tricare. I was more concerned about that so I wouldn’t be trapped with just VA care and a severance lump sum that I would turn down because of the VA offset.

I know your asking what should you do but that is one decision that I think you really need to think about and go with it. If you have other questions along the way I can answer I will do my best to do that for you.
 
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