Work with Us
We regularly work with attorneys and veteran advocacy organizations to provide the services their veterans need for a successful mental health disability claim. Our respect and care for veterans drives us to keep our costs low - we never inflate our prices beyond the actual time it takes to complete the required services. See below for information about our psychologist, pricing, and services.
Dr. Deborah Miller
PhD, HSPP
Dr. Miller is the founder and lead psychologist for Veteran Disability Consultations. She is a licensed psychologist and endorsed as a Health Service Provider in Psychology in Indiana (License #20042889A) and is authorized to practice telehealth in 39 states through the Psychology Interjuristictional Compact (PSYPACT), as well being registered as an official telehealth provider in the state of Florida* (TPPY1790). She is also a tenured associate professor of psychology at Indiana University East. She has extensive experience providing VA C&P exams as well as independent exams on behalf of veterans. She started this company because of her experience reviewing inadequate independent mental health exams and poorly written nexus letters contained in veteran's C-files, often provided at exorbitant cost to the veteran.
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Expertise
Dr. Miller was trained in a PhD program with a focus on research methodology, allowing her to provide extensive research evidence for veterans to support the rationale for their service connection. She completed post-doctoral training in psychological assessments. She has extensive experience providing and supervising diagnostic psychological and developmental assessments, as well as writing thorough diagnostic reports. She has provided C&P exams for VA contractors such as LHI and OptumServe, which gives her expert knowledge of the VA mental health disability claims process as she conducts exams and writes opinions. Dr. Miller has completed extensive Veterans Health Administration (VHA) training on Disability and Medical Assessment (DMA) for mental health conditions, and completes ongoing continuing education through VHA training in subjects such as best practices in diagnosing PTSD using VA-created assessment tools.
Services
Record Review
Independent Medical Exam/ DBQ
Nexus Opinion Letter
TDIU Support Letter
Cost (flat fee)
$150
$350
$350
$350
Our Services
Dr. Miller provides independent medical opinions related to Veteran mental health and service connection, including the following:
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whether a disability exists and its severity
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whether an in-service event/injury/illness occurred
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whether the current condition/disability is connected to the in-service event/injury/illness
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This includes opinions for direct, secondary, and aggravation service-connection claims, as well as increase and supplemental claims
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Nexus Letter/Independent Medical Opinion: Some veteran records contain enough mental health documentation to make an independent exam unnecessary. In these cases, Dr. Miller will review the available records and provide a nexus letter with an independent medical opinion without conducting an exam. During the record review, Dr. Miller will inform you if there is not enough information in the records for an independent opinion and will recommend an independent exam be performed. Nexus letters/IMOs based on records alone are available to veterans in all 50 states.
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Independent Mental Health Exam: Some veterans may need additional medical information for their record, which can be gathered as part of an independent mental health exam. This may be information not available in their existing record, such as recent mental health diagnosis, or current information about the impact of the mental health disorder on their daily functioning. Dr. Miller will perform exams via secure telehealth and provide a DBQ with current diagnosis and functional impact as part of the exam documentation. Exams alone do not result in nexus opinions but can be performed in conjunction with the nexus letter service as needed. Telehealth exams can be performed for veterans in Indiana, any of the 31 PSYPACT states (in darker blue), and the state of Florida (TPPY1790). For an extra fee, Dr. Miller may be able to complete paperwork to obtain temporary telehealth approval in the veteran's state but please be aware that this will delay the overall process.
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Total Disability/Individual Unemployability: Veterans who meet the VA criteria for TDIU may benefit from a letter of support from a medical professional providing an opinion regarding their ability to work based on the impact of their service-connected mental health disorders(s). Dr. Miller will review the veteran's records to determine if adequate information exists to provide this opinion; otherwise she will recommend that the veteran receive a mental health exam to provide additional detail regarding their mental health and unemployability. TDIU letters based on records only can be provided for veterans in any state; TDIU letters based on exams can be provided for veterans in Indiana, any of the 31 PSYPACT states (in darker blue), and the state of Florida. For an extra fee, Dr. Miller may be able to complete paperwork to obtain temporary telehealth approval in the veteran's state but please be aware that this will delay the overall process.
Dr. Miller's Independent Opinions
Dr. Miller's nexus letters/independent opinions are thorough and rigorous. They are not boilerplate documents that just swap in your veteran's name in a generic template. They include:
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A thorough review of the veteran's C-file and all relevant documentation submitted by the veteran. It is helpful to include any previously obtained rating decisions and DBQs for review.
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Request any additional information missing from the veteran's record that would strengthen and/or provide necessary evidence for the requested medical opinion (e.g. buddy letter, personal statement, missing private or VA medical records, or an independent exam)
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Identification and supporting rationale for previous inaccurate diagnoses, errors, or erroneous opinions on previous C&P exams/in-service mental health records
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Research evidence to support her medical opinion, including reviews of scientific literature and the DSM-V
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A personalized, detailed, comprehensive nexus letter with an independent medical opinion. The letter will include:
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A summary of the veteran's relevant medical records in chronological order
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A full report detailing the veteran's personal and mental health history before, during, and after their time in service including current diagnoses, onset, etiology, course, and/or functional impact with support from the scientific literature.
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An independent medical opinion with required VA verbiage (e.g. "at least as likely as not") and a well-developed rationale based on scientific research
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Please note that opinions are independent - there may be times that the desired opinion does not correspond with Dr. Miller's expert conclusion. Consultation may be provided regarding how Dr. Miller's opinion may best be used for your veteran's claim.
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