Accessing Compensation and Pension Exams and Other VA Benefits During the COVID-19 Crisis

Update May 29: VA announced yesterday that in-person exams will resume at 20 approved locations within the next few weeks. VA said veterans with pending claims in these locations will be contacted to schedule exam appointments. Veterans outside these areas are still being served virtually and veterans within reopened service areas may still opt for a virtual exam, VA said.

“The bottom line is we’re still open for business.” This is what Paul R. Lawrence, Under Secretary of Benefits for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is conveying to veterans concerned about accessing benefits and services during the novel coronavirus crisis.

In a recent series of state-based tele-town halls, Lawrence reassured veterans from Alaska to New York and states in between that benefits application systems, the board of appeals process and other services are available from VA as the pandemic persists.

“We are processing new claims for benefits and granting benefits,” Lawrence said in one such tele-town hall to Oklahoma veterans on May 18. “There are some differences — we can’t meet in person.”

Certain parts of the benefits process may have to be done online or virtually, at least temporarily, he said. “So, a C&P (Compensation and Pension) exam — a medical exam we provide to folks as we better understand their conditions — we’re trying to do those in telemedicine or a review of the file,” he said. “If we need to do it in person, we’ll do it as soon as possible.”

Seven VA Benefit-Related Updates

Here are seven VA benefits-related updates, as noted by Lawrence in the most recent town hall and further explained in an earlier VA bulletin and a VA spokesman’s email.

· Explore virtual C&P exams through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). As stated, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) announced in early April that C&P exams would be largely virtual for veterans’ safety to prevent the spread of COVID-19. C&P exams help VBA claims processors make decisions about your claims for disability compensation and pension benefits. VHA can now conduct tele-C&P exams.

· Get a C&P exam completed using Acceptable Clinical Evidence (ACE). You may be able to avoid a virtual or in-person exam through an ACE exam, according to an April 6 VA bulletin. This is when a medical provider reviews the evidence of record and completes the Disability Benefits Questionnaire without seeing you in person or virtually (they may or may not need to call you with questions).

· Work with one of three contractors to get a C&P exam or ACE. VBA also works with three contractors to provide C&P exams where VHA lacks the capacity to complete examinations, a VA spokesman said. The three contractors are QTC, Veterans Evaluation Services (VES) and Logistics Health Incorporated (LHI). All three contractors can complete C&P exams by using ACE or tele-C&P exams or in-person exams (when safe).

· Await an in-person exam. You may need to wait for the crisis to abate to obtain an in-person C&P exam for evaluations of certain disabilities. “If we need to do it in person, we’ll do it as soon as possible,” Lawrence said. “You won’t lose your place in line.” He added: “We’re not denying your benefits, and we’ll grant partial benefits if we can.”

· Seek an extension. You can seek an extension, Lawrence said. Send VA a note explaining that the paperwork was late because of the novel coronavirus crisis. “We’re all in this together, and we strive to be as supportive and understanding as possible,” he said.

· Request a virtual appeals hearing. Lawrence noted that the Board of Veterans’ Appeals is conducting virtual hearings during this time for veterans who want to appeal decisions about benefits. Search online for “Board of Veterans’ Appeals” to reach the VA page that provides more information about this process.

· Keep your medical records updated. A VA spokesman advised that service members and veterans keep their treatment records up to date to reflect the current status of their health.

Learn more

· Watch the tele-town halls by looking for the playlist on VBA’s YouTube page: https://rly.pt/VBAyoutube

· With questions about filing a claim, contact VBA’s benefits number, [login to see] , which answers 25,000 calls a day, most in less than one minute.

· Visit https://rly.pt/VAdisability