Q: Can I speak to the provider on the phone?
A: Our providers do not correspond by phone. We do this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there is nothing you are going to tell us on the phone that is going to impact your letter because if it is not in your records (or personal statement) then it isn’t something we can use and it isn’t something the VA is going to take into account. Secondly, if you send an email we save it to your file and reference it before reviewing your records, but if it is just something you said on the phone weeks ago it could easily be forgotten. Please email us and we will get back to you in a timely manner.
Q: What if my claim is denied?
A: We are always willing to write a rebuttal if possible for a $100 fee (assuming we wrote the original letter). We strongly encourage everyone who is rejected to please appeal and then do a higher level review as being rejected is common and depends on so many factors to include time in the fiscal year.
Q: Do you charge by the issue?
A: No, we charge by the letter. The number of letters is dependent on how many providers are required to address your issues. ie 4 ortho conditions, 1 audiology condition, and 1 psychiatry condition would be three letters and therefore three charges.
Q: How do you get my records?
A: We are not able to access any documents other than what you send us. If you don’t have access to your VA or private doctor’s records please click HERE for instructions.
Q: What is your success rate?
A: 82% (based on previous clients that have responded to our inquiry as of 05/06/24)
Q: Does your psychiatrist write for TBI claims?
A: No, as she is not comfortable writing for TBI claims we do not offer letters dealing with such at this time.
Q: Are your letters written on a doctor’s letterhead?
A: Our letters are written on our company letterhead.
Q: Do your letters contain the phrasing “at least as likely as not” or “more likely than not”?
A: Yes.
Q: Does a Doctor sign my letter?
A: Who signs your letter depends on who writes the letter. Our general medicine letters are written by one of our PAs, NP, or our MD, our audiology letters are written by our audiologist, our podiatry letters are written by our podiatrist, and our psychiatric letters are written by our psychiatrist (MD).
Q: Do you offer refunds for negative findings or not being able to write a positive letter?
A: We do not offer refunds if your medical record does not represent what we were told before starting your records review. It is your responsibility to be honest with us that your record contains the events and diagnoses that we are led to believe before starting your review. IF we find that your record does not allow us to write a positive Nexus Letter for your condition(s) then we will not write a letter and you will only be charged for the record review.
We also offer NO guarantee that the VA will find in your favor.
Q: What if you find you can’t write my letter?
A: You will be contacted with our findings and we will request from you what we would need to see to proceed with a letter. We will not take part in argument or discussion of why you do not think we need said evidence/documentation.
Q: How long will it take to receive my letter?
A: We will make every effort to try to produce your letter in a timely fashion, but there are many factors that will decide how long your letter will take. Currently letters are taking 8 weeks from the time we receive payment, records, and contract.
Factors that can affect the amount of time it takes to receive your letter: the number of conditions you’re claiming, the complexity of your conditions, the size of your medical records, how well you have organized your records before sending the records for review, and the number of people ahead of you.
Record review and letters are first come first serve, but we will try to accommodate reasonable requests for your letter to be expedited. (This may result in a fee.)
Q: Who can write a veteran’s nexus letter?
A: I think VA Claims Insider said it best… “A VA Nexus Letter is an evidence-based document prepared by a qualified medical professional, such as a PA-C or an MD, that helps to establish a connection between the claimed in-service disease or injury and the veteran’s current disability…
Of course, a veteran may also choose to hire a Medical Doctor (MD) or other specialty physician, although this usually comes at a premium price.
In our experience working over 5,000 VA disability claims to date, we have yet to see a single instance where an MD’s nexus letter trumped a PA’s nexus letter.
Why?
Because the best VA Nexus Letters are LESS about the doctor’s credentials, and MORE about the quality of the content, mainly, the records reviewed, medical research studies cited, case law precedent examples, and the nexus statement for service connection.”
Q: Do you accept records via email?
A: Yes, we are able to accept emailed records! Our HIPAA compliant email (password required) is Records@JGardnerAndAssociates.com. If you would like to learn more about our email’s HIPAA compliance CLICK HERE. We do prefer to receive your records via our secure drive. We will send you a link and instructions.
Q: Do you write letters for tinnitus or other hearing conditions?
A: YES! We are so excited to to have Dr. Christine Erickson PhD on our team. Her expertise and background allow us to write nexus letters for hearing claims.
Q: Do you write letters for PTSD or other psych conditions?
A: YES! We are so excited to have Dr. Amy Connell MD on our team. Her expertise and and background allow us to write nexus letters for psychiatric claims.
Q: Do you perform C&P exams or complete DBQs?
A: No. We do not provide these services at this time.
Have more questions? Please email us: Info@JGardnerAndAssociates.com
Veteran Benefits ClaimVeteran VA Nexus Letter