Veterans Medical Advisor

                                                                            drbash@doctor.com

                   

                                          Social Security

Dr. Bash is a veteran of

UPDATE:


Often veteran patients get confused about the benefits of Social Security (SS) and VA disability systems. These two programs are independent of each other and thus veterans are eligible for both. They both require extensive medical records and supporting medical opinions.


The VA benefits are dependent on service connected primary or secondary disabilities whereby the SS system is based simply on the medical conditions and service connection is not a requirement.


Dr. Bash writes opinions for both systems and I have been a expert witness for both types of Judges and adjudicators (raters).


Recommendation:  Each patient should obtain a well-documented medical opinion after an exam to submit to either SS or VA before the SS or VA exams - especially if the patient is at the appeal level.

Dr. Bash knows the VA both inside and out.

His Story:

Dr. Bash was injured in service in 1984, requiring a five month stay as an In-Patient at Boston West Roxbury VAMC teaching hospital (part of the Harvard teaching hospital affiliations). He spent the next seven years, subsequent his cervical spine injury, unrelentingly developing and appealing his personal 100% VA benefits.

In the early 1990s, as a medical physician (Resident), at the Washington, D.C., VA hospital, Dr. Bash worked from his wheelchair as he cared for its numerous disabled veterans. In the latter 1990s, he worked as an accredited VA Claims Agent for both the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) foundations in their legal appeals sections. In the early 2000s, he trained at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, performing experimental MRI treatment trial research on patients with Multiple Sclerosis and spine injuries. These two diagnoses are prevalent among VA patients, and they both require intensive Physician/Nurse expertise.

Over the past 25 years, Dr. Bash has often provided his expert testimony to BVA Judges at live hearings as an Associate Professor at the Military Medical School (USUHS). He has produced numerous expert medical/legal opinions for other service organizations (American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Purple Heart, Viet Nam Veterans of America, Wounded Warriors, Veterans Insider, and state Veteran representatives) and numerous DC/national law firms. Additionally, he has provided free outreach medical opinions to homeless veterans.

As a Director of Medical Affairs at the PVA, Dr. Bash performed multiple Quality of Care site visits (boots on the ground) to most of the VA’s largest tertiary medical centers. During this period (2-3 years), he visited several dozen hospitals throughout the US, reviewing quality of care while gathering bedside clinical data for veterans’ claims. He generated a Site Visit Report for each trip, which was sent to the Secretary of the VA and his executive staff for quality improvement.

All of these experiences are invaluably useful in the production and analysis of Dr. Bash’s independent Nexus opinions, allowing him to review most all types of disabled veterans’ claims for both the VA and Social Security. A representative sample of his Board case claim awards is attached to this web site (see Appeals BVA cases). Also, please examine his 600+ BVA case log (dating back to 1996) on the VA’s website by searching www.va.gov Board of Appeal cases (key words Dr. Bash, Craig Bash MD). The following is noteworthy: The best place to independently view outcomes of any medical opinion is on the VA’s web site in the sub section called Board of Appeals cases. The Court of Veteran Appeals site also lists a limited percent of BVA cases that have been appealed forward.

Dr. Bash’s life altering In-Patient convalescence; his personal (seven years) 100% VA claim appeals process; his physician in training; his PVA hospital site visit reporting; his NIH training; his BVA claim representative experiences; and, his dedicated work as an Associate Professor/Veterans Medical Advisor have given him unique perspectives and insights in to the internal care/claim workings of the VA. All combined this has allowed Dr. Bash to become the original VA insider.

Craig N. Bash M.D., M.B.A. -- Associate professor

Cell/Text Lori - 530-925-6081

drbash@doctor.com
 

Dr. Bash in 2021

Dr. Bash in 1986

drbash@doctor.com

______________________

Craig N. Bash M.D., M.B.A.

Neuro-Radiologist and Associate Professor

Uniformed Services School of Medicine

NPI/UPIN-1225123318


Dr. Bash will help with most VA and social security medical claims. Please email him with the subject line "new patient consult" to drbash@doctor.com

Call/text Lori at 530-925-6081 to schedule a phone appointment. Appointments available 7 days a week in the AM hours.