Zonk: the VA, by the numbers

The essentials

Do these in order. Each one takes minutes, not days.

1. 1

   Lock in your date today

   Submit an intent to file. You then have a year to finish your claim, and back pay can reach back to this day. Already rated? Do it anyway; it covers new conditions too.

   Intent to file online → or call 800-827-1000

2. 2

   Get into VA health care

   Most combat veterans qualify, and any rating qualifies you. A VA doctor's notes are some of the best evidence your claim can have.

   Apply for VA health care → or call 877-222-8387

3. 3

   Talk to someone at a Vet Center

   Free, confidential counseling for combat veterans and their families, in a non-medical setting, apart from the VA hospital. Most PTSD claims start here, with someone writing down what you're carrying.

   Find a Vet Center → or call, 24/7 877-927-8387

4. 4

   Grab your DD-214

   Your proof of service. Lost it? A copy is free.

   Request your DD-214 →

5. 5

   File the claim

   Sign in at va.gov (ID.me is fastest) and fill out Form 21-526EZ. List everything: ears, back, knees, feet, sleep, head, mood. Don't edit yourself. You can add evidence later.

   File a disability claim →

6. 6

   Get free help

   An accredited representative (DAV, VFW, American Legion, or your county veterans office) will build and file your claim at no cost. Or call us. Never pay anyone to file a claim for you.

   Find a free representative → or call C3 (REP) CHARLEE

7. 7

   Track it, and don't quit

   Answer the VA fast when they ask for something. Rated too low or denied? That's normal. You can ask for a review, and many claims are won the second time.

   Check your claim → If you disagree →

Do I qualify?

If something changed after you joined, such as your body, your sleep, your relationships, or how you handle crowds or quiet rooms, it's worth claiming. You don't need a Purple Heart. You need a DD-214 and the honesty to say what service did to you.

Served after 9/11, or near burn pits or Agent Orange? The PACT Act may cover more than you think.

Already rated?

A rating isn't a ceiling. Use the same form (21-526EZ) to:

• Add a new condition. Rated for a knee but never claimed PTSD? File for it now.
• Ask for an increase. If a rated condition has gotten worse, say so.
• Claim what it caused. A bad knee that wrecked your back, or PTSD that wrecked your sleep, can be rated as a secondary condition.

Combat veterans get a break on PTSD: if what you describe fits where and how you served, your own statement can establish what happened. What the VA still needs is a diagnosis and a clear picture of how it shows up in your life now. That's steps 2 and 3.

Living overseas?

You can still file. Steps 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 all work online from anywhere. Steps 2 and 3 change:

• Health care: the Foreign Medical Program. VA hospitals and Vet Centers are stateside, but the Foreign Medical Program pays for local care of your rated conditions, and for conditions those make worse. It has toll-free lines in several countries, including Australia (1800 354 965) and the United Kingdom (0800 032 7425).
• A diagnosis: see a local doctor or psychologist. For a condition that isn't rated yet, a local clinician's diagnosis and notes count as evidence, just like stateside records. Ask for them in English.
• Your exam. The VA arranges C&P exams overseas too, usually with a contracted local examiner.
• Crisis line from abroad. 988 won't connect. Use online chat, or call +1 844-702-5493 from the Pacific, +1 844-702-5495 from Europe.

Evidence that helps

• Buddy letters. Someone who served with you describes what they saw. Specifics beat sympathy. Templates here →
• Your own statement. How each condition affects your work, your family, and your worst days.
• Medical records. Military and civilian. One doctor's note connecting a condition to service goes a long way.
• Service records. Deployment orders, awards, incident reports, anything that puts you in the place where it happened.

Your C&P exam

The VA will schedule a Compensation and Pension exam. What the examiner writes down decides your rating.

• Describe your worst days, not your average ones. Nightmares, flashbacks, how noise or crowds hit you, what it's done to your job and your marriage.
• No "I'm fine." The training that got you through deployments works against you in that room.
• Bring copies of anything you've submitted. Don't assume the examiner has read it.

Before a PTSD exam, read The Brief and the CAPS-5 primer. They'll help you put it into words.