The most important appointment in your claim.

Who schedules it

The VA does, not you. Your local VA medical center or a VA contractor mails a letter with the date and time. Some contractors also call or text. Keep your address and phone current on VA.gov, because a missed letter is the most common reason veterans miss the exam.

What happens

The examiner may do a basic physical exam, ask questions about your history, and order tests like X-rays or bloodwork, all at no cost to you. For mental health conditions the exam is a structured interview. The examiner fills out a standard form (a DBQ) for each condition.

The examiner will not treat you, refer you, prescribe anything, or tell you the result. They also do not decide your claim. They send their findings to the VA rater, who does.

What to bring and how to prepare

The VA says you do not need to bring anything. Still, a few things help:

• Send any new medical records to the VA before the exam, so the examiner has them.
• Know your worst days. Ratings are based on how the condition affects you, and examiners see you for a short window. Describe flare-ups, what you cannot do anymore, and how often.
• Do not push through pain to look capable. Do what you can, and say when it hurts.
• Bring a list of your medications and the conditions being examined, so nothing gets skipped.

If you miss it

The VA can decide your claim on the evidence it already has, which usually means a denial or a low rating for that condition. If you had a real reason (a hospitalization, a death in the family, homelessness, a serious illness), call the VA and ask to reschedule. Otherwise, do not miss it.

How we help

Before your exam we go over the conditions being examined and how the rating criteria for each one actually read, so you know what the examiner needs to hear about. After, we look at the exam findings when the decision arrives and check them against your records.