Medical records, including Service Treatment Records (STRs) and current medical records, are crucial to every VA disability claim. What may appear as common sense must be explicitly detailed for VA raters. This is why VSC dedicates numerous hours to reviewing records for each client, meticulously examining each page to ensure that neither we nor the VA overlook any essential evidence.

As mentioned in the Records Review portion, the reasons for VA to grant service-connection or an increased rating must be explicitly detailed for VA raters.

At VSC, we dedicate time to ensuring that our claim narratives are well-researched and supported by relevant medical journals, if necessary. We utilize evidence and applicable VA regulations to provide detailed information about medical records and explain why the claimed conditions should be approved for service connection or a rating increase.

BDD, or Benefits Delivery at Discharge, claims are initial submissions made to the VA 60 to 90 days prior to an active-duty member's separation date.

The intent of BDD claims is to ensure continuous coverage, so veterans experience no gap between their discharge/retirement and the commencement of their VA benefits. While the process may not always be seamless, the VA strives diligently to adjudicate these claims by the date of separation.

Clients must submit all Service Treatment Records (STRs), encompassing dental and behavioral health records. Additionally, if applicable, clients should provide any relevant civilian medical records, a current marriage certificate, divorce decrees, and birth certificates for all children under 18. For children aged 18 to 23, birth certificates and evidence of full-time school enrollment are required. Social security numbers for the spouse and children are also needed (the actual cards are not required). Finally, the VA requires your direct deposit details and all DD-214s.

Original Claims refer to the first-ever claim submitted by a veteran for a benefit or condition.

Initial claims refer to filing for compensation for a particular condition or to request an increase in the rating of a pre-existing service-connected condition for the first time.

When filing original and initial claims, it's important to remember the three criteria that the VA requires to consider a condition as service-connected:

1. A documented incident, event, or exposure that occurred while you were on active duty and can now be tied to the currently diagnosed disability.

2. A current clinical and documented diagnosis for the condition(s) claimed to have resulted from the incident, event, or exposure.

3. A nexus or connection between requirements 1 and 2. This is confirmed with post-military medical records of treatment for the claimed ailment, a substantial nexus letter from the treating physician, and an explanation for why there was no previous treatment.

Please ensure all three elements mentioned above are included when coming to VSC to submit a claim to the VA. Suppose there is no documentation of the condition being treated during your time in the military. In that case, it may be challenging to support your claim unless the condition is a secondary or VA presumptive condition. In the absence of medical documentation, alternative methods exist to demonstrate the required elements to the VA. These alternatives include personal (lay) statements, credible buddy statements, employer statements, personnel records, and nexus letters from a physician.

Higher-level review claims (HLR) are the easiest to put together and are one of the three options for appealing a VA decision. An HLR is typically used when the VA has all the evidence necessary to approve the claim but either misses the evidence on file or doesn't use it correctly. HLRs are also submitted when the VA hasn't followed the regulations in the 38 CFR or the M21-1 (VA rater manual) correctly.

You can't submit new evidence for an HLR. Still, you can include a well-written cover letter to explain precisely what the HLR rater needs to review and why the claim was adjudicated inaccurately.

What's unique about the HLR is that you can request an informal teleconference with the HLR rater to discuss why the VA Regional Office made a mistake in their decision. This isn't an option with the original or supplemental claim.

HLRs must be submitted within one year from the decision letter date to reserve the claim’s effective date.

Supplemental claims (Supp) are one of the three appeal options for VA claims. A Supp claim is used when there is a disagreement about the VA's decision on an original or Higher-Level Review (HLR) claim. Unlike the HLR, the Supp claim form must include new and relevant evidence.

Additional evidence is considered new and relevant if it was not submitted with the previous claim, and it shows the VA rater that there was an error in the decision. The new evidence submitted with a Supp claim must relate to why the previous claim was denied.

For example, if a claim for an increase in a mental health rating was denied because there was no evidence in the medical records or during the C&P exam that the veteran’s mental health symptoms have worsened in the last few years, new and relevant evidence would need to be submitted with a Supp claim. In this case, additional medical records are considered new but irrelevant because the VA has already evaluated all available medical records. Therefore, evidence showing where the veteran’s symptoms have increased would need to be established. I recommend providing a personal statement detailing specific examples of how and when the veteran’s symptoms have progressed, particularly to the VA mental health rating scale. Additionally, having someone who knows the veteran well write a detailed buddy statement about how the veteran has changed and worsened over time would add validity to the Supp claim.

Supps must be submitted within one year from the decision letter date to reserve the claim’s effective date.

Proper preparation for a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam is key to making the experience less daunting. These exams can be stressful, and many veterans have shared stories of rushed and inadequate exams, which, unfortunately, are often true. However, with the proper preparation and knowing what to ask or say, the experience can be much smoother. Whether it's a physical or mental health exam, understanding what to expect and what an adequate exam looks like is essential.

At VSC, we discuss the dos and don'ts of a C&P exam, guide what to say and what not to say, and review the VA rating scale and DBQ (Disability Benefits Questionnaire) for the examined condition. We also email these documents to the veteran for additional review.

The exams aim to help the examiner understand what it's like to be you every day, especially on your worst days. For example, suppose you're preparing for a lower back C&P exam. In that case, it's essential not to take pain medication until after the exam. Also, when the examiner asks how you're feeling, it's necessary to be honest and not just say "fine" or "good." Finally, the rating for your lower back is mainly based on your range of motion - how far you can bend forward and turn side to side. So, it's crucial not to push yourself beyond what you can do on your worst day, even if the examiner asks you to. These tips will help the VA get the most accurate report, hopefully leading to the most appropriate rating for your condition.

Some veterans needing disability claim assistance may not be able to afford it. To address this issue, VSC provides free claim assistance for certain veterans who may be unhoused or experiencing financial hardship. The "DONATE" button in each page's footer is specifically intended for this purpose. At VSC, we strongly believe in paying it forward and karma. If you wish to support a fellow veteran needing pro bono services, all donations will be directed towards this cause.