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What these denials mean:
When your claim is denied with the statement "The evidence does not show a current diagnosed disability," the VA is saying they don't see proof that you have a diagnosed mental health condition right now.
There are 2 possible reasons why, and it's important to assess which of these applies to your situation:
Possibility #1:
You have been experiencing significant mental health symptoms but they didn't add up to a specific diagnosis.
Symptoms vs. Diagnosis: What's the Difference? Many veterans experience significant mental health challenges that don't currently meet strict diagnostic criteria for a specific mental disorder.
The difference between symptoms and diagnoses can be confusing, especially when they sound similar. For example, "depressed mood" is a symptom – not a diagnosis. You can have depressed mood without meeting the full diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder or another mental disorder.
Not getting a diagnosis doesn't mean that your experiences aren't valid, but it does mean that you can't get service-connected.
Possibility #2:
You weren't examined adequately.
You should have been offered a Mental Disorder C&P Exam.
If your records aren't sufficient to determine the status of a possible service-connected disability, the VA needs to provide an examination to make that determination.
Assuming you had a Mental Disorder C&P Exam, there is a possibility that the examiner didn't adequately assess your symptoms to identify your diagnosis. This happens frequently.
Find Your Best Path Forward:
Try to figure out if you might have a diagnosis that was missed.
Free Online Screening tests can give you a better idea about whether you might have a diagnosable mental disorder. If you think you may have a mental disorder, you can find out with an IME.
Even if you don't have a diagnosis, you still deserve proper support, and you still have access to free or affordable treatment through many resources.
You can get service-connection for a mental disorder secondary to a Service Connected disability, if:
You have a diagnosable mental disorder AND evidence indicates that it was caused or aggravated by your existing service-connected disability (like Tinnitus, Chronic Pain, or Sleep Apnea).
My Process:
Phase 1: We start with a Records Review and an Independent Medical Examination (IME). The goal is to determine if you meet the clinical criteria for a diagnosis. If you don't have a mental disorder, we would stop here.
Phase 2: If a diagnosis is confirmed, I would conduct a Medical Literature Review to find if there is scientific evidence linking your two conditions. If there is no indication of a nexus, we would stop here.
Phase 3: If both a diagnosis and a medical link are supported, I write a formal Nexus Letter.
Standard VA Disability Claim Process
The VA will provide:
- Free medical examination
- Free records review
Your Fieldstone Service Plan:
Estimated Total Cost:
$2,850
Phase 1: $1450 (due at booking)
- Records Review: $350
- Forensic analysis of up to 50 pages of records.
- Telehealth IME: $1,100
- 1-hour telehealth examination
If no diagnosis is found, the process concludes here.
Phase 2: $350 (billed only if diagnosis found)
- Medical Literature Review: $350
- A detailed examination of medical and scientific literature to determine if there is scientific evidence supporting a connection between a veteran's service-connected primary condition and their claimed secondary condition.
If no nexus is supported, the process concludes here.
Phase 3: $1050 (billed only if diagnosis and nexus are found)
- Nexus Letter: $1050
- A formal independent medical opinion (IMO) supporting a secondary service connection.
Total for all phases: $2850
Timeline:
Phase One
- Sign-up & Pay: Secure Phase One of your plan and access intake packet.
- Intake & Upload: Complete intake forms and upload medical/service records.
- Confirmation & Assessment: When you confirm you have completed your records submission, you will be directed to complete clinical assessments.
- Scheduling: Upon completing assessments, you will schedule your telehealth exam.
- Deliverables: You will receive your completed Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) within 1 week of your exam. It will indicate any diagnosed mental disorder. If no mental disorder was diagnosed, this will conclude the process. If a mental disorder was diagnosed, you can choose to move on to the next phase.
Phase Two
- Pay: Secure Phase Two of your plan.
- Deliverables: Within 1 week of payment, you will be informed if the evidence supports a positive nexus letter. If it doesn't, this will conclude the process. If it does, you can choose to move on to the final phase.
Phase Three
- Pay: Secure Phase Three of your plan.
- Lock-in Delivery Date: Upon paying, you will be redirected to a scheduling calendar where you will "lock in" the date by which your Nexus Letter will be emailed to you.
- Deliverables: You will receive your Nexus Letter by secure email by End of Business on the date you reserved.
Ready to book your service?
We're ready to help! Sign up for your Fieldstone Service Plan below.
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