The VA’s compensation and pension exam is essential for filing a service-related disability claim. This exam’s purpose is to determine your injury’s or condition’s severity and its impact on your ability to work and complete daily activities. Your C&P exam will result in a disability rating, which directly impacts the benefits you will receive.
For many veterans, the C&P exam can seem like a daunting hurdle. Knowing what to expect will demystify the process and reduce the anxiety you may feel about this evaluation.
1. Detailed Questioning
During the exam, a VA medical examiner will ask a series of questions about your symptoms, their progression and how they affect you. You must answer these questions honestly and precisely. Exaggerations or false statements can adversely affect your claim.
2. Physical and Mental Health Evaluations
Your C&P exam may include physical or psychological evaluations, depending on the nature of your disability. The assessment will be more nuanced for mental health conditions like PTSD or depression related to your military service. If you have more than one service-related disability, you should undergo a separate C&P exam for each claim.
3. Review of Medical History
The examiner will also review the veteran’s medical history, including previous treatments and the effectiveness of those treatments. This comprehensive review helps provide a full picture of the veteran’s health status.
4. Compiling the Report
Though you won’t receive the C&P exam report immediately, it will be a crucial part of your disability claim file. If you wish to review the details, you can request a copy from the nearest VA office.
5. Decision and Notification
The VA will issue a decision after reviewing your claim, incorporating insights from the C&P examination. You will receive an award letter, which outlines the presence and severity of your service-connected disability and the benefits it entitles you to. This process typically takes about five months from the claim filing date.
6. Right to Appeal
If you disagree with the VA’s decision, you have the right to appeal within one year of receiving your notice of decision. This appeal process is an opportunity to contest the findings and seek a reassessment of your case.
How Warrior Vets Can Help
The intricacies of VA disability claims can be overwhelming. At Warrior Vets, our dedicated team is here to give back to the brave men and women who have served our nation so selflessly. We believe veterans deserve compensation for mental or physical disabilities sustained in the line of duty. Contact us today to learn more about who we are and what we do.