Where to get a nexus letter:
Doctors who write nexus letters and other medical opinions for Veterans’ VA disability claims can list their name and information on Nexus Letters dot com (this site) for free. Nexus Letters dot com is maintained by psychologist Todd Finnerty, Psy.D., but Dr. Finnerty does not necessarily endorse any doctor who is listed here and he has not evaluated their services or credentials.
Nexus letter doctors near me
Do you need to find a list of nexus letter doctors near you? Sometimes it can be helpful to find someone close enough that you can travel to for an exam (for example Dr. Finnerty is in Columbus, Ohio). However, professionals can perform medical records reviews and potentially write a nexus letter that way no matter where you are located nationwide/ in the world. They may also be able to do exams via telehealth to your location. For example, Dr. Finnerty is able to do telehealth exams to most states and many international locations (and Dr. Finnerty writes nexus letters based on records reviews for Veterans no matter where they are physically located).
The doctors on the list below (other than Dr. Finnerty), have no relationship to nexusletters.com. Their fees will be different than the fees that I have listed on this website for me. Any opinions expressed on the website are the sole fault of Todd Finnerty, Psy.D.; the other professionals below are listed here as a service to you.
Sometimes your treatment provider won’t write a nexus letter and you need to find a forensic specialist with expertise in VA disability claims. If you’re searching for a specialized doctor who will write you a nexus letter you’ve now found the right place. You can work directly with the doctor (and escape the middleman markup).
While it would be convenient if Veterans in need of first or second opinions on mental health related claims could seek them from treatment providers at the VA, VA policy outlined in VHA Directive 1134(2) Provision of Medical Statements and Completion of Forms by VA Health Care Providers recommends that VA mental health treatment providers not complete forms such as “mental health DBQ’s” in order to “maintain the integrity of the patient-provider relationship.” Therefore, both the VA and Veterans often must seek forensic specialists outside of a treatment relationship to provide opinions related to their case.
Why pay a middleman where you can’t even evaluate the professional’s credentials ahead of time?
Please note: I’ve only added websites to the list below where I could see who the actual professionals are who are performing the services.
Remember, with some exceptions, doctors typically aren’t accredited representatives with the VA. They focus on specific issues related to the medical/psychological concerns you have. In general they are not going to charge you based on the outcome of your claim, they’ll charge for their time. In general it is viewed as not ethical for a doctor to charge you based on the outcome of your claim. I wrote a blog post about doctors’ fees and ethics here: http://nexusletters.com/2021/08/09/doctors-cant-ethically-charge-based-on-the-outcome-of-your-claim/
There are organizations out there that are neither doctors nor accredited reps that may help you file claims with the VA. I am agnostic about them as long as you are fully aware of what you are getting and read the fine print carefully. You may or many not decide you need their services given that you could potentially find a rep for free or an attorney for less depending on the stage of your claims. For example, I know that I can file my taxes for free if I did it myself, but I use an accountant. There are plenty of instances in life where it is nice to have an experienced consultant. However, the value that some organizations add may or may not be worth the price they ask. Since this site focuses only on nexus letters themselves and is not related to filing claims or providing claim consulting advice, I do not list those organizations here, just ones where we know up front who the doctor performing the service will be. This site also focuses on exams/ nexus letters/ medical opinions and not any other consulting services related to VA disability claims. You should also be aware when making your decision that the VA may take a harsh view on certain practices from some middlemen organizations as evidenced by statements such as this Fraud Alert from the VA’s OIG.
The professionals listed below are likely to write nexus letters and or perform disability examinations for Veterans (some of the individuals listed may not currently be accepting new referrals). They are not in any particular order except that since I made this website I get to put my name first. If you have any suggested updates to the list below please contact me. Feel free to send more than one email if I don’t get back to you as I may sometimes accidentally miss an email, sorry.
REMEMBER– Dr. Finnerty does not endorse any of the people on this list and they are not associated with Dr. Finnerty in any way; it is included here just for your convenience in doing your own research.
- Todd Finnerty, Psy.D.; Psychologist; Columbus, Ohio; (330)495-8809; [email protected], http://www.toddfinnerty.com and also http://www.NexusLetters.com
- David Anaise, MD, JD; physician & lawyer; https://www.danaise.com/ (he also authored a book about Medical Evidence in Veterans’ Disability Rating which I read and found useful).
- John W. Ellis, MD; physician; ellisclinic.com
- Mark Worthen, PsyD; psychologist; https://www.drworthen.net/ (see also https://www.ptsdexams.net/ )
- Brett Vallette, Ph.D.; psychologist; https://veteranspsychevaluations.com/
- Jerald Cook, MD; physician; https://medfitconsulting.com/
- Victoria A. Cassano, MD; physician; https://drcassano.com/
- Quinn Austin-Small, Ph.D.; psychologist; https://www.qasphd.com/
- Remington Nevin, MD, MPH, DrPH ; physician; https://remingtonnevin.com/
- Suzanne Best, Ph.D.; psychologist; https://www.suzannebestphd.com/
- Jeffrey Garbelman, Psy.D.; psychologist; http://ipcwisconsin.com/veterans-benefit-claims/ https://wpapsychology.com/
- Kyle Mitchell, DO; physician; https://www.kdvma.com/
- Nicole Edwards, DO; physician; https://abundantcandp.com/
- Thomas Grieder, MD; physician (psychiatrist); https://ptsdmedicalopinion.com/
- Jennifer Sweeton, Psy.D.; psychologist; https://www.jennifersweeton.com/
- Fred Nolen, Ph.D.; psychologist; [email protected]
- Dezmond Sumter, M.D.; physician; [email protected]; https://www.facebook.com/premierphysiciangroup
- Jessica Allen, M.D., psychiatrist, http://www.ptsdnc.com
- Tara Thompson, MPAS, PA-C /MRPY Professional Services LLC; mrpyprofessionalservices.com
- Ashley Gardner, PA-C; [email protected]; https://myveterannexusletter.comhttps://southtexashealthwellness.practicebetter.io/#/613f8be73980330f3cbac194/profile
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Christine Erickson, AuD CCC-A; Forensic Audiologist- https://www.advancedaudiologyusa.com/ Email: [email protected]
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Nachman Brautbar, M.D. (in relation to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune & Veterans and defense contractors who were exposed to military burn pits) www.environmentaldiseases.com
- Dr. David Geier https://www.drdavidgeier.com/independent-veteran-medical-orthopedic-consultant-nexus-dbq/ – “veterans can contact me and my assistant and schedule the process of my review of their records and/or writing a NEXUS letter for their orthopedic injuries and diagnoses.”
- Dr. Prashant Sharma, psychiatry, concisepsych.com
- Molly Dutton, ARNP, family practice advanced registered nurse practitioner, http://duttonhealthandwellness.com/
- Dr. Alexander Williams, psychologist, https://www.disabledveteranbenefits.com/
- Machlah Lopian, RPA-C; [email protected]; 734-855-5371 (Southfield , MI; in person and telehealth)
- Widalys Santiago Miranda, MD; https://www.literalmed.com/
Keep in touch:
Dr. Finnerty writes an occasional free email newsletter where he provides updates about his practice at NexusLetters.com as well as his thoughts about issues related to VA disability cases. You can subscribe to that here: Free E-mail Newsletter- Subscribe! – Nexus Letters from a Psychologist
@NexusLetters on YouTube:
YouTube: Dr. Finnerty also occasionally posts videos and you can subscribe at Youtube.com/@NexusLetters
Dr. Finnerty wrote the book on sleep apnea secondary to PTSD; he also writes nexus letters for it.
Sponsored Ads:
This website also serves ads for other sites below this paragraph. Those sites are not affiliated with Dr. Finnerty. Dr. Finnerty of course will earn a fee if you click on those ads. Dr. Finnerty has chosen to allow them to assist you in finding other options in case you need a specialist other than a psychologist. The sites below may or may not be related to nexus letters for Veterans’ VA disability claims.
Home Sleep Apnea Testing- Home sleep studies
Dr. Finnerty does not offer a home sleep study or home sleep apnea test (HSAT) and does not diagnose sleep apnea himself. It must already be in your medical records for Dr. Finnerty to review. A sleep study such as a home sleep apnea test is needed to get a sleep apnea diagnosis. Dr. Finnerty has started compiling a list of home sleep apnea test providers who work on a national level and will list them at the website below. These sleep specialists can order home sleep apnea testing from an online telehealth visit/ online order. The list of online home sleep apnea test providers is here (it is still a work in progress). Please keep in mind that some of the links below may be sponsored or an affiliate link where Todd Finnerty LLC may earn a commission if you purchase through the link; Dr. Finnerty does not endorse any of the providers and has no other relationship with them.