Dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs can be a difficult and stressful process, especially when physical pain or other conditions are already making daily life difficult. The appointments and paperwork can be difficult to deal with alone, but with the assistance of a primary care physician outside of the system, you may be able to gather independent evidence to make your appeal more successful. Take the time to understand a few traits of the Veterans Affairs (VA) claim system and ways that a private primary care physician can help.

Why Would Legitimate Pain Assistance Be Denied?

If you're suffering from problems caused by military injuries, it's reasonable to be confused, frustrated or even angry by a denial. Unfortunately, policies with good intentions for protecting the best interests of injured veterans can sometimes work against those same veterans.

In an attempt to reduce fraudulent charges, an injury claim with the VA needs to prove that the veteran has a service-connected injury. To be considered service-connected, your injury must have happened while you were still in active or reserve duty with the military. Service connection also covers investigations for conditions such as cancer or other delayed conditions that could have been caused by military service.

Your original claim may not have been enough. Some veterans only include a few basic pages from their medical record which is not enough evidence to convince claims processing personnel. The medical record in general may not include enough information, especially if there was a delay between your injury and reaching a base with a decent administrative team.

For your appeal, you'll need more comprehensive proof through medical evidence that can support every injury claim statement.

Detailed And On Time Medical Care

One big issue with VA compensation exams is that you may be dealing with a long wait time and rushed personnel. Although every state has different circumstances, there is a national crisis surrounding VA wait times and the way that some claims are handled. You can get around such problems by seeking civilian medical assistance.

The VA supports your right to seek civilian care; in most cases, VA personnel will even direct you to other caregivers and give you the paperwork for proper referrals. Find a trustworthy primary care provider and submit their information in order to receive a referral that won't be as taxing on your budget--in some cases, the VA may handle the entire bill if it's directly related to your VA claim.

Your new, civilian primary care physician can take you on as a patient with far less burden than the doctors at the VA. Your private doctor can take the time to examine your issues carefully and develop reports that can make your appeal more likely to succeed.

Contact a primary care provider and explain your situation to get a medical professional's opinion as a main feature of your VA appeal.