By Amanda Huffman
Air Force Veteran and Military Spouse
Host of the Women of the Military Podcast
Once you leave the military, one of the most important things to do as a Veteran is to file a Disability Claim with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Some Veterans know they have medical or mental health challenges when leaving the service, but for others, issues connected to their military service appear over time. Either way, the process of filing a VA claim can feel overwhelming and it can be hard to take the first step, not to mention taking all the steps that are required after you file. However, you deserve compensation for your wounds of war, even if you don’t think you are struggling.
It wasn’t until a few years after leaving the military that I attended a Women Veterans conference and learned that I should have filed a VA claim when I left the service. I did not take any steps in the process of filing a claim until after the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act was passed in 2022. It was a lot of work, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I am so glad I advocated for myself and got the care and benefits I earned from my military service.
VA Health Care Is Different Than Disability
When I left the military, I thought that the only people who could go to the VA Hospital for healthcare were Veterans with a disability. I was wrong — every Veteran should enroll in VA Health Care when leaving active duty. At a minimum, you are entitled to an annual well-visit check-up that includes bloodwork and other screenings. Your disability rating and other factors will determine what is covered by the VA and at which level of care. Many Veterans rely on both VA Health Care and private insurance to meet their healthcare needs.
For example, if you are a combat Veteran, you are eligible for five years of full VA Health Care after leaving the service as a benefit. Even if you don’t intend to receive your healthcare at a VA facility, you may need it.
Another example is when your need for care is specifically connected to your service. I was diagnosed with skin cancer (melanoma stage 0) in 2019. Melanoma is considered a presumptive condition because of the PACT Act and is reflected in my record as a military-related ailment. All of my dermatological screenings and any follow-up care related to melanoma are covered by the VA.
Getting Help in Filing Your VA Claim
Filing a claim can get confusing very quickly, but you don’t have to do it alone. You also don’t have to spend money to file a VA claim. Larger Veteran organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), have trained people who can help you get your claim started. They can walk you through the process and help you fill out the paperwork. I was able to access help in filing all my paperwork through this route and it gave me the assurance that everything was submitted correctly.
There are also for-profit companies that will help advocate for you and ensure that you receive all the benefits available to you. They provide additional resources and support throughout the claims process. These organizations can also help Veterans make a case for increasing their disability rating if they believe the decision was not acceptable. While these support programs aren’t free, and may only apply in certain situations, it’s important to know the options available to you.
Be sure to do your due diligence with these companies before agreeing to work with them. Ask other Veterans to share their experience with their VA Disability claim. If you don’t know any Veterans personally who went through the process, Reddit has a number of threads focused on VA Disability and can help you get advice from other Veterans.
Learn About What You Can File For
The first step in filing a claim with the VA is figuring out what you should be filing for. If you are still in the military, you can meet with someone on base to go through your medical records. If you are no longer in the service, you can do this with a Veteran Service Organization (VSO). Reviewing all of your medical records dating back to when you joined the military establishes your baseline of the conditions you still suffer from.
You should also look at which conditions the PACT Act covers. There are several medical conditions, including some cancers, that are covered by the VA if you were deployed to specified areas overseas at certain times.
Additionally, you should consider getting a mental health evaluation, because it is covered along with your physical health.
Filing a VA Disability Claim
Once you’ve established what you want to file for, you will need to complete a VA Form 21-0966 Intent To File form with the VA. After you file with the VA, you will have one year to collect all the medical records needed to provide proof for your claim. Once you collect the necessary records, you will need to complete a VA Form 21-526EZ to submit all accompanying documents to include medical records, DD-214s, marriage certificate and dependent’s birth certificates. Shortly after submission, you will receive a confirmation email. You can also log into MyHealthyVet to check the status of your claim.
Follow-Up Appointments
After you submit all the necessary forms, the VA will review your application. Typically, it will take anywhere from one to six months before you move to the next stage of the claims process. The second step in the claims process requires you to go in person to a VA-contracted medical facility. In my case, I went to three different offices on three different days. At each location, I met with a medical representative, answered questions, and had additional testing/measurements for each claim item. The VA compensates you for mileage depending on how far the location is from where you live. You don’t have to do anything to receive this compensation. A check will arrive in the mail within a few weeks of each appointment. After you’ve finished all your appointments, the VA will evaluate the completed package.
VA Compensation
If you are awarded compensation from the VA, you will get back pay for the months you were going through the claims process, starting from the date you submitted your intent to file. VA disability compensation is a tax-free benefit.
If your rating with the VA is 30% or higher, you can claim dependents. Dependents are your spouse, children, or a parent if you are caring for them and if their income and net worth are below a certain amount.
If you are receiving military retired pay, the compensation for a VA rating under 50% will offset your retired pay and that portion of your VA compensation will not be taxed. If your VA rating is over 50%, you will receive your retired pay and your VA disability compensation concurrently.
Appealing Your VA Claim
Once you receive your rating from the VA, you will have a year to appeal the VA’s decision. You can choose from three decision review options: a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal to continue your case. If you are not satisfied with the results of the first option you choose, you can try another eligible option.
If you disagree with a VA medical decision, you can request a Clinical Appeal. You will need to provide more information yourself about your unique situation or hire a company to represent you in the appeals process.
VA Disability is an earned benefit for Veterans and something you are entitled to if you were injured, sustained a chronic condition while you served or suffered from mental health challenges after service. Everyone should consider filing a VA Disability Claim and go through the process to let the VA tell you no officially, instead of self-disqualifying. VA Disability can truly be a life changing benefit for Veterans.