Trying to get the benefits you deserve can feel immensely frustrating.

But there is some good news: VA has a “duty to assist” those who are applying for benefits.

This means that, by law, VA has to help you get records from lots of different sources if you tell VA about the records:

Military service and medical records
Veterans Health Administration treatment records
Records from other Federal Agencies (such as Social Security Administration records)
Private treatment records you identify and grant the Agency permission to retrieve

What does this mean for your claim?

The best thing you can do is tell the VA about any records that might be helpful for your claim and give VA permission to obtain records from your private medical providers.

You can provide this information when you submit your claim, or in a separate statement. Be sure to include the following information:

Dates and locations of treatment for the condition you are applying for, including both VA and private treatment
Give VA permission to get records from your private providers, or get the records yourself and submit them to VA
Identify all units that you served with during your military service

VA will attempt to obtain all records relevant to your claim, and it will add them to your electronic claims file. Although VA doesn’t always get all the necessary records, its a great start to help you start to build your claim.

News

TDIU Nets Veteran Back Payments of $211K

U.S. Army veteran “Thomas” worked in the construction industry until 2001, when he had to quit his job due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He had ongoing issues with anger, difficulty concentrating, and frustrations with interactions involving coworkers and supervisors. By May 2011, the VA had rated Thomas at 70% for PTSD, 30% for hearing […]

Veteran’s Widow Receives $313K in Retroactive Payments

In 2018, a veteran’s spouse was denied Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) — the tax-free monetary benefit paid to eligible survivors of military service members who died in the line of duty or as the result of a service-related injury or disease. Her spouse died in 2004 as the result of coronary artery disease. She […]

DBQ: What Does It Do?

DBQ stands for Disability Benefits Questionnaire. This is a form, filled out by a medical professional, that lists different symptoms a veteran may have related to a claimed condition. Just having your doctor fill out a DBQ won’t get your claim granted. Typically, DBQs will only identify your current diagnoses and your current symptoms.

Medical Records for Your Claim