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The good news is that you've cleared the most difficult hurdle: getting your condition service-connected.
If you've looked at the VA's symptom list for your current rating, and it doesn't seem accurate to the symptoms you're experiencing, you're not alone. Most initial ratings don't capture the full picture.
Here’s why:
- Military Culture Affects How You Report: You were trained to minimize problems and push through difficulty. This often leads to underreporting your symptoms' true severity during a C&P exam.
- Examiners Can Miss Key Indicators: Many examiners don't account for how military experience shapes symptoms. They might miss secondary effects like relationship problems, work difficulties, or the coping mechanisms you've been forced to develop.
- Functional Impairment Gets Overlooked: The VA rates based on how your symptoms affect your ability to work and function socially. If an examiner doesn't ask the right questions to understand the full scope of your daily struggles, your rating will be too low.
Now, the goal is to ensure your rating accurately reflects the true impact on your life.
How?
In this case, an Independent Medical Examination (IME) is the most effective tool for providing the evidence needed for an increase.
What makes my evaluations different is my ability to identify symptoms you might not recognize or that other examiners often miss. I understand both military culture and how mental health symptoms can be misinterpreted or downplayed.
- Independent Medical Examination (IME) with Records Review- We would go through the IME process to accurately assess your current symptoms and level of impairment, which you can then submit to the VA for a rating increase.
A Special Note for Veterans with a 70% Rating:
Navigating an increase from a 70% rating presents a unique set of challenges. The VA's criteria for a 100% rating are very specific and may not match your experience, even if your condition severely impacts your ability to work.
Because this is such a common and frustrating situation, I have created two specific resources to help you understand your options:
- To Learn More About the Process: If you want to understand why the jump from 70% to 100% is so difficult and what the VA is looking for, I highly recommend reading my guide on this topic first.
- To Explore an Alternative Path: If your primary struggle is that your service-connected condition prevents you from working, the VA offers an alternative path called Individual Unemployability (IU). This may be the most effective route for you. I offer a specific assessment for this situation.
Standard VA Disability Claim Process
The VA will provide:
- Free medical examination
- Free records review
Your Fieldstone Service Plan:
Estimated Total Cost:
$1,450
- Records Review: $350
- Forensic analysis of up to 50 pages* of records.
- Independent Medical Exam (IME): $1100
- 1-hour telehealth examination
Timeline
- Sign-up & Pay: Secure your plan and access intake packet.
- Intake & Upload: Complete intake forms and upload medical/employment 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) and written clinical summary via secure email message within 1 week of your exam.
*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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