C & P Exam

Question:

I am rated at 90% with a PTSD rating at 70%. I have OSA, central apnea and complex apnea. I started experiencing sleep apnea after being discharged from the service. A forensic psychologist who is also on the board of sleep medicine reviewed my records and connected my sleep apnea to my severe PTSD symptoms. He can write me a six page Nexus letter with citations and scientific studies showing how sleep apnea and PTSD relate to one another. He also completed a DBQ stating the same. The VA wants to schedule me for a QTC exam with one of their doctors. I was told to take my sleep studies, TV Q, and Nexus letter in when I go to ensure examiner sees the information. Can you give me any insight that I might not be aware of. Your input would be greatly appreciate it as I will be at the exam this coming week. Thank you in advance.

 

Jim's Reply:

I think that you're about as well prepared as anyone I've worked with. The best advice I can give you is to do the best you can to present your case to the examiner while recognizing that the examiner may not accept any documents from you and may insist on sticking to a scripted Q & A dialogue. 
 

VA examiners aren't required to accept any documents from you. Documentation supporting your claim is routinely sent in by you or your rep as a part of your file for review by the rater, not the examiner. VA C & P exams are tightly controlled and the examiner is only allowed to focus on exactly what the rater has requested.
 

Some examiners are more rigid than others and if your examiner isn't open to reviewing your documents, no worries...accept it and don't worry about it.
 

In the final analysis anything the examiner reports is only a part of the process. Good luck.