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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.
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.
*Files exceeding 50 pages will incur a fee of $100 per 50-page increment.
Ready to book your service?
We're ready to help! Sign up for your Fieldstone Service Plan below.
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