An independent medical opinion (IMO) is a medical opinion from a private licensed clinical psychologist that provides evidence for veterans’ VA mental health claims. This is an official opinion from a medical expert explaining the link between your mental health status and your service. Providing this statement to the VA can impact whether your benefits will be approved.
VMHA’s IMO includes a comprehensive evaluation of your functioning, symptoms, and condition, a diagnostic clinical interview where a new diagnosis (or more) may be provided, nationally recognized mental health questionnaires, which assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and response to trauma to provide further evidence for the diagnoses and narrative in the report, review of military and medical treatment records, research citations or case law, and a nexus statement connecting your current condition to your service. If you need additional support or documentation related to the same claim, this is included at no additional cost.
There are many reasons a veteran could desire an independent medical opinion. If you were denied a previous claim or have a complex case, then an IMO is a great option. If you are filing your initial mental health claim and need to establish service connection or have good reason to believe you were misdiagnosed, then an IMO is also a great fit for you. Lastly, if you want to provide the most comprehensive evidence possible to support your claim, then an IMO puts you in the strongest position.
We deliver all documentation to you within 10 business days of your assessment with your psychologist. The delivery date will be communicated and if you need your documents earlier, a rush service is available. Once received, you will have an opportunity to review and share feedback before finalized.
Many veterans have their claims denied because they file a mental health claim without an accurate mental health diagnosis provided by a doctor. Without the correct diagnosis, the C & P exam will find that the veteran’s symptoms and impact will not correspond with the diagnosis claimed, which may lead to an unfavorable result for the veteran. With luck, the veteran’s claim gets approved, yet often not at the appropriate rating level due to lack of evidence corresponding with the diagnosis. This means lost benefits and support for the veteran and wasted time and energy.
For your initial claim, we recommend obtaining a comprehensive mental health evaluation so you can file your claim already having an accurate diagnosis from a licensed provider as well as a detailed account of how your mental health condition is impacting your day to day functioning. With an accurate and thorough assessment, you can be sure that your rating and benefits will correspond with how you’ve been impacted, and you will have evidence that connects your current condition to your service.
No. Your VSO or veteran service organization can help with organizing your claim, but they are not medical providers and are therefore not qualified to offer or suggest a diagnosis.
If you’re filing your mental health claim for the first time, we recommend having a mental health professional provide an assessment to ensure you start the process with the appropriate evidence. If you were denied your mental health claim, having an assessment done by a mental health professional allows you to provide the evidence you need to support your claim. If you began experiencing mental health-related symptoms during or after service, such as: feeling sad or down, feeling worried or withdrawing from friends and activities and have not filed a claim for mental health, then an assessment could be the right fit for you.
Have you experienced a change in your mood, socialization, motivation, interest in activities since joining or leaving service? Did you experience a traumatic event during service that is impacting your mood, social functioning, or work performance? Have you experienced thoughts of harming yourself since joining or leaving service? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, your mental health may have been impacted by your service and an assessment could be right for you.
We have very high standards for the psychologists that we work with to perform your evaluations, and we prioritize high quality evaluations, which means thorough assessments and accurate diagnosis. We understand the VA’s requirements, which means your evidence will be reported not only accurately, but also according to the VA rating guidelines. We focus on veteran comfort. We don’t rush assessments and we make sure that our psychologists understand and appreciate veterans. If appropriate, we provide guidance at the end of the evaluation to improve your quality of life. For us, It’s not just about the assessment.
No, we make no guarantees that you will be given a mental health diagnosis. However, if a diagnosis is appropriate, our psychologists will capture the evidence needed and document the diagnosis according to the VA’s rating guidelines.
Please bring a government issued photo ID with you and please let us know if you are not in your home state.
Yes. All mental health evaluations are conducted virtually. You will receive a link in your calendar invitation and via email that you can use to join your video telehealth call.
Our psychologists are licensed in AL, AZ, AR, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY.