Occasionally, PEBs may have additional records to submit to VA when they e. Additional Records PEBs request a proposed rating decision. If the records are sensitive, PEBs may May Provide in send them using SAFE. Connection With A Request For information about retrieving records that PEBs send through Reference: for a Proposed SAFE, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 2.D.20.c. Rating Decision f. Disabilities DRASs are responsible for preparing proposed rating decisions for PEBs that DRASs Must addresses every disability Address and Decisions They an IDES participant claimed during the initial meeting with his/her MSC May Defer in a a participant’s service department referred to VA, and Proposed examiners diagnose (during IDES-related examinations). Rating Decision may defer a decision on a disability only if the disability does fall within any of the three categories described not above, and the evidence of record is insufficient to make a decision, or under the circumstances described in M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 2.D.17.e. Situations may arise in which it would be in a participant’s best Exception: interest to defer a decision on the types of disabilities referenced in the first paragraph of this block. In such situations, DRASs should e-mail a request for guidance to . VA has determined that a participant is totally disabled due to SC Example: disabilities considering a disability for VA has insufficient without evidence to make a rating decision. In this case, deferring a decision on that disability may be appropriate. For more information about examination reports that reveal the Reference: existence of disabilities an IDES participant did claim and his/her service not department did refer to VA, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 2.D.13.b. not g. Rating DRAS RVSRs must consider the issues in the table below when preparing Issues That Are proposed rating decisions. Unique to IDES Cases Issue Discussion Goniometer RVSRs must use the goniometer readings in Readings examination reports when assigning evaluations for back disorders an examiner indicates in a report unless that the readings do not accurately reflect the IDES participant’s true functional limitations.
e. Additional Records PEBs May Provide in Connection With A Request for a Proposed Rating Decision Occasionally, PEBs may have additional records to submit to VA when they request a proposed rating decision. If the records are sensitive, PEBs may send them using SAFE. Reference: For information about retrieving records that PEBs send through SAFE, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 2.D.20.c. f. Disabilities DRASs Must Address and Decisions They May Defer in a Proposed Rating Decision DRASs are responsible for preparing proposed rating decisions for PEBs that addresses every disability an IDES participant claimed during the initial meeting with his/her MSC a participant’s service department referred to VA, and examiners diagnose (during IDES-related examinations). may defer a decision on a disability only if the disability does not fall within any of the three categories described above, and the evidence of record is insufficient to make a decision, or under the circumstances described in M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 2.D.17.e. Exception: Situations may arise in which it would be in a participant’s best interest to defer a decision on the types of disabilities referenced in the first paragraph of this block. In such situations, DRASs should e-mail a request for guidance to . Example: VA has determined that a participant is totally disabled due to SC disabilities without considering a disability for VA has insufficient evidence to make a rating decision. In this case, deferring a decision on that disability may be appropriate. Reference: For more information about examination reports that reveal the existence of disabilities an IDES participant did not claim and his/her service department did not refer to VA, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 2.D.13.b. g. Rating Issues That Are Unique to IDES Cases DRAS RVSRs must consider the issues in the table below when preparing proposed rating decisions. Issue Discussion Goniometer Readings RVSRs must use the goniometer readings in examination reports when assigning evaluations for back disorders unless an examiner indicates in a report that the readings do not accurately reflect the IDES participant’s true functional limitations.
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