Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file my VA disability claim myself?

Yes. VA allows Veterans to file disability compensation claims directly through VA.gov.

You may also choose to work with a VA-accredited VSO representative, claims agent, or attorney.

Is Nexus Veterans a VSO?

No. Nexus Veterans provides medical-record analysis and independent medical evidence.

We are not the Department of Veterans Affairs, a Veterans Service Organization, or a VA-accredited representative, and we do not decide VA disability claims.

If you want someone to assist with the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of a VA benefits claim, you should work with an appropriately VA-accredited representative.

Does a Nexus Letter guarantee that the VA will approve my claim?

No. A Nexus Letter is evidence. The VA evaluates the Nexus Letter together with the other evidence in your claim.

No private medical provider can guarantee how the VA will decide a disability claim.

Should I upload my Nexus Letter when I file?

If you obtained the Nexus Letter as medical evidence supporting the claim you are filing, you generally want the VA to actually receive and consider it.

You can submit supporting medical evidence with your claim or upload evidence to a pending disability claim through VA's online tools: VA.gov: Upload Supporting Evidence

Should I submit the medical records behind my Nexus Letter too?

Make sure the VA has access to the important underlying medical evidence relevant to your claim.

Your Nexus Letter may discuss those records, but the medical opinion itself does not automatically replace the underlying records.

If the records are from private healthcare providers, you can submit the records yourself or authorize VA to request them: VA.gov: VA Form 21-4142

Can VA disagree with my Nexus Letter?

Yes. The VA evaluates medical opinions along with the rest of the evidence in the record. There may also be more than one medical opinion addressing the same question.

If the VA denies your claim despite a private Nexus Letter, read the Rating Decision to understand how the VA addressed the medical evidence and why it reached its conclusion.

Can VA still send me to a C&P exam?

Yes. Submitting a Nexus Letter does not prevent the VA from requesting an examination or additional medical opinion if the VA determines that more information is needed: VA.gov: Learn About C&P Exams

What if I've never filed anything with the VA before?

That's okay. If this is your first disability claim, the VA allows you to apply online and walks you through the application process.

If you aren't ready to file yet, you may also want to learn about establishing an Intent to File: VA.gov: Intent to File Information

What if VA already denied this condition?

Do not automatically submit the same condition as a new claim. The VA's modern decision-review system generally provides three review paths:

• Supplemental Claim
• Higher-Level Review
• Board Appeal

Which option is appropriate depends on the previous decision, the evidence available, timing, and what you believe the VA got wrong.

If you have new and relevant evidence, including potentially a medical opinion that the VA has never reviewed before, a Supplemental Claim may be an option: VA.gov: Supplemental Claims

Is my Nexus Letter “new and relevant evidence”?

It may be. The VA defines new evidence as information it did not previously consider and relevant evidence as information that tends to prove or disprove something at issue in the claim.

If the VA has never previously considered your Nexus Letter and the opinion addresses an issue relevant to the previous decision, it may qualify as new and relevant evidence.

The VA ultimately determines whether the requirements for a Supplemental Claim are satisfied.