Gathering Your Records
Blue Button Report
This is critical information we need
Your Blue Button Report is comprehensive summary of your VA medical history, including medications and clinic visits. This is crucial information for linking your military service to current health conditions. To obtain your report:
- Log in to your My HealthVet account
- Navigate to the “Health Records” section and select “VA Blue Button Report”. We need the all-time Blue Button Report.
- Customize your report to include all relevant information and download the PDF version.
- If you have issues, you may need to contact MyHealthEVet and ask for help from a rep to upload your Blue Button Report to your portal.
Current Ratings Letter
This is critical information we need
This letter outlines your existing disability ratings from the VA, vital for spotting conditions that current documentation may not yet support, so a provider can review whether the evidence can be strengthened.
- Visit VA.gov and log into your account using your ID.me, My HealtheVet, or DS Logon credentials. If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to create one
- Once logged in, find the “View your VA disability rating” option. This will direct you to a page outlining your current disability rating and the breakdown of individual ratings by condition.
- On the same page, you should find an option to download your Benefit Verification Letter, sometimes referred to as your Ratings Letter. This document officially states your disability rating.
Claims Letters
(Critical Information We Need)
Correspondences from the VA reguarding past claims, including denials, which tell a reviewing provider what the VA has already decided and where the evidence is thin.
How To Obtain
- Search your personal records for any claim letters or decisions.
- For missing documents, contact the VA directly for copies.
Claim Decision Letters
This is critical information we need
If you’ve filed a VA disability claim or are awaiting a decision letter, you can access it online once it’s ready. Veterans with a VA.gov sign-in can use this online option to access their disability decisions whenever they need them. No need to store hard copies or request reprints from VA.
- Navigate to VA.gov and sign in using any of the sign-in options
- Click on VA Benefits and Health Care at the top of the VA website. You will see a dropdown menu. Select disability, then check your claim or appeal status.
- Find the claim you are looking for. If there has been a decision, it will say Status: Closed. Remember that, if your claim is not closed, a decision letter will not be available yet.
- To locate your VA decision letter, click on View details.
- On the next page, click Get your claim letters. You will see a list of letters end by the VA in chronological order, with the most recent mailing at the top.
- Select the letter you need. The decision letter will be downloaded as a PDF file that can be saved to your computer or mobile device.
DD214
This is critical information we need
Your discharge document verifies military service and conditions of discharge, a foundational piece for establishing eligibility for VA benefits and service connection.
- Check your personal files. You might have received your DD214 at discharge, and its easy to forget admist all of the paperwork. If you need to convert this to a pdf, learn how here.
- Visit the National Archives website and use the Veterans’ Service Records request function.
- Follow the instructions to request a copy of your DD214
Civilian Medical Records
This shows your current diagnoses
These records detail medical treatments and diagnoses received outside of VA facilities, essential for illustrating your health history before and after service. They provide critical evidence for non-VA documented conditions.
- Contact the medical records department of the facility.
- Complete any required release forms.
- Specify that you need the documents in a digital format or as able to be scanned copies.
Buddy Statements / Personal Statements
Optional additional information
Personal accounts from yourself and others that provide personal evidence of the impact of service-related issues, supplementing medical documentation where it may be lacking.
- Reference Lay/Witness Statement (VA Form 21-10210)
- Write a personal statement addressing specific incidents or conditions and their impact.
- Request written statements from colleagues or peers willing to support your claim.
Other Medical Records
Optional additional information
Includes any additional documents relevant to your claim, such as pharmacy records or therapy notes, adding further depth and context to the impact of service-connected conditions on your life.
- Consider all healthcare providers you have visited since your service, including specialists, therapists, and alternative healthcare practitioners
- Contact each provider directly to request your records, following a similar procedure to obtaining civilian medical records.
Still Have Questions?
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