VA Policy & Rule Updates
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39 results in VA Policy & Rule Updates
VA Policy & Rule Updates
Burn Pit Presumptive Conditions: The Full List and What 'Presumptive' Actually Means
The PACT Act expanded burn pit presumptive conditions to 23+ diagnoses. The full list, what 'presumptive' actually changes, and eligibility veterans miss.
After Hamill v. Collins: How to Find a VA Claim That Was Never Actually Decided
The Federal Circuit says a claim the VA never explicitly decided is still pending. Here is how to read your decisions since 2019, spot an unaddressed issue, and act on it.
Hamill v. Collins: The VA Can No Longer Deny Your Claim in Silence
A new Federal Circuit ruling ends the VA's implicit denial doctrine for AMA-era claims. A claim the VA never explicitly decided may still be pending, with an earlier effective date on the table.
How to Get Your VA Medical Records, and Why Your Claim Needs Them
Your VA medical records are the backbone of most disability claims. Here is how to pull them yourself through My HealtheVet and request a full copy when you need one.
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Freund v. Collins Update: A Fairness Hearing on August 13, and Where Your Reopened Appeal Stands
The VACOLS appeal-closure settlement now has a fairness hearing set for August 13, 2026. Here is where things stand and what affected veterans should watch for.
How to Ask the VA to Move Your Claim to the Front of the Line
If you face homelessness, severe financial hardship, terminal illness, or advanced age, VA Form 20-10207 can expedite your claim. Here is who qualifies and how to file.
Take Care of America's Veterans Act: H.R. 9237 and S. 4744 Status
Current status of H.R. 9237 and S. 4744, plus the proposed tinnitus and sleep apnea rating changes. Neither proposal is law.
Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions: The Current List and Eligibility
The 2026 Agent Orange presumptive conditions list, PACT Act additions, qualifying locations and dates, and evidence needed to prove diagnosis and service.
M21-1 Update: VA Reorganizes How It Service-Connects Insomnia
The VA revised M21-1, Part V, Subpart iii, Chapter 13, the Mental Disorders chapter, to reorganize and clarify how claims processors handle service connection for insomnia.
M21-1 Update: A New Exam Exception for Higher-Level Review Returns
The VA updated M21-1, Part IV, Subpart i, Chapter 2, Section A, the Examination Requests Overview, to add an exception to its complex-medical-opinion guidance for cases returned through Higher-Level Review.
The VA Closed Thousands of Veterans' Appeals by Mistake. Freund v. Collins Forces Them to Look Again
A class action in the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is forcing the VA to audit tens of thousands of legacy appeals it closed automatically — many of which were filed on time. If your appeal was pending between December 12, 1990 and February 6, 2025, here's what the Freund v. Collins settlement means for you.
M21-1 Update: New IDES Exam Rules for Gulf War Illness Claims
The VA revised M21-1, Part X, Subpart i, Chapter 6, Section F, updating how examinations are developed for claims involving an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System. If you are a transitioning service member or Gulf War veteran with unexplained symptoms, this affects your exam.
VA Updates M21-1 Pre-Discharge Exam Rules for Gulf War Vets
The VA has revised M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart ii, Chapter 1, Section B, relocating and revising pre-discharge examination instructions for Persian Gulf veterans pursuing presumptive service connection. If you served in the Southwest Asia theater and are filing or refiling, this procedural change affects how your claim gets developed.
M21-1 Update on Reviewing Diagnoses: Spicer v. McDonough Impact
The VA updated its M21-1 manual section on reviewing diagnoses to bring example language in line with the Spicer v. McDonough decision. The change affects how raters evaluate diagnostic evidence in your claim file and what counts as adequate medical evidence of a current disability.
VA CUE Due Process: What the M21-1 Update Changed
A plain-language explanation of VA's M21-1 CUE due-process and authorization update, what stayed the same, and when ordinary review lanes may fit better.
M21-1 Update: New Examiner Rules for VA Mental Health C&P Exams
The VA revised M21-1, Part IV, Subpart i, Chapter 3, Section A, updating qualification requirements for clinicians who perform mental health C&P examinations. If your claim involves PTSD, MST, depression, or anxiety, the credentials of your examiner now sit at the center of any sufficiency challenge.
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