Procedures for Obtaining Service Treatment Records (STRs)

Overview

In This Section

This section contains the topic “ Procedures for Obtaining STRs.”

1. Procedures for Obtaining STRs

Introduction

This topic describes the procedures for obtaining STRs, including

• automated STR requests based on claims establishment
• obtaining STRs for members of the Reserve or National Guard
• interaction between the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) and Healthcare Artifacts and Image Management Solution (HAIMS)
• suspense dates generated by VBMS for STR requests to HAIMS
• status messages generated by VBMS for STR requests to HAIMS
• how STRs from HAIMS are grouped and displayed in VBMS
• late-flowing STR documentation in HAIMS
• obtaining STRs in HAIMS for survivor benefits claims
• accessing electronic copies of health records through the Joint Longitudinal Viewer (JLV)
• associating health records located in JLV, and
• requesting STRs
• from NPRC, and
• for Veterans discharged during the transition from paper to electronic STRs.

Change Date

May 6, 2026

III.ii.2.B.1.a. Automated STR Requests Based on Claims Establishment

Establishing a claim in the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)/Share will automatically request service treatment records (STRs) from the Healthcare Artifacts and Image Management Solution (HAIMS) if the conditions described in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.c are met.

The status of the HAIMS STR request can be found in the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) Portal.

III.ii.2.B.1.b. Obtaining STRs for Members of the Reserve or National Guard

Follow the steps in the table below to obtain STRs for members of the Reserve or National Guard.

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Important: When a Veteran indicates private medical treatment for a condition related to Reserve or National Guard duty during, or in close proximity to, the time frame in which the duty was conducted, obtain the records as described in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 1.A for consideration in deciding the claim.

References: For more information on

• requesting records through STR Assist, see the VBMS Core User Guide
• automated STR requests at claims establishment, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.a
• records previously stored at the Records Management Center (RMC), see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.5.a
• extraction, scanning, and uploading of STRs previously stored in RMC file banks, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.5.d
• obtaining STRs from HAIMS, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.c - h
• creating tracked items, see the VBMS Core User Guide
• the appropriate tracked item for requesting STRs from the Reserve/National Guard or following up on HAIMS STR requests, see M21-4, Appendix D
• following up on HAIMS STR requests for Reserve/National Guard STRs, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.2.b, and
• obtaining records from JLV, see the JLV User Guide.

III.ii.2.B.1.c. Interaction Between VBMS and HAIMS

VBMS automatically submits a request for a Veteran’s STRs to HAIMS when

• a Veteran whose service ended on or after January 1, 2014, files a claim for VA benefits, and
• the regional office (RO) that received the claim begins processing it in VBMS.

Exception: Coast Guard began uploading service records to HAIMS for Veterans whose service ended on or after September 1, 2014.

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Notes:

• No tracked item is generated when VBMS submits a request to HAIMS.
• To determine the status of a request, users must rely on the status and error messages listed in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.e.
• When HAIMS transmits an electronic copy of a Veteran’s STRs to VBMS, VBMS
• inserts the copy into the Veteran’s electronic claims folder (eFolder), and
• displays a “new mail” indicator to alert users that the Veteran’s STRs are available for viewing.
• When the Veteran’s separation date is on or after January 1, 2014, or on or after September 1, 2014, for Coast Guard Veterans, but the separation date either does not exist or is updated in the corporate record during claim establishment or processing, VBMS displays a button labeled “Request STR Again” under the OBTAIN STRS tab. Users must return to this tab and click on the button after updating the corporate record with the correct separation date.

Reference: For more information on HAIMS, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.5.e.

III.ii.2.B.1.d. Suspense Dates Generated by VBMS for STR Requests to HAIMS

When a claim is established, a request for STRs is submitted to HAIMS through VBMS, and VBMS generates a suspense date for the request as described in the table below. The request remains active until the claim is closed, cleared, or cancelled.

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Important:

• The 45 calendar-day period agreed upon between VA and DOW begins when the request first appears on the VLER list, which occurs when the HAIMS STR request is submitted (automatically upon receipt of a claim; or manually initiated by a claims processor).
• Query the VLER Portal if
• 45 calendar days have passed since the
• claimant separated from service, and
• claim has been established
• the suspense date has passed without a status message being received, and
• a search in JLV does not result in finding the certified STRs with a certification memo, DD Form 2963, Service Treatment Record (STR) Certification, in HAIMS.
• If the search of the VLER Portal fails to provide guidance, send e-mail notification to VAVBAWAS/CO/HAIMS-DPRIS.

References: For more information on

• the VLER Portal, see the VLER Portal User Guide, and
• STR certification memos, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.3.b.

III.ii.2.B.1.e. Status Messages Generated by VBMS for STR Requests to HAIMS

When a request for copies of STRs is submitted to HAIMS through VBMS, the status of the request is located in the OBTAIN STRS section of the DEVELOPMENT PLAN for the claim in VBMS.

Use the table below to determine the meaning of the status messages and any associated actions required.

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III.ii.2.B.1.f. How STRs From HAIMS Are Grouped and Displayed in VBMS

Electronic copies of STRs that HAIMS transmits to VBMS are grouped and displayed in a Veteran’s eFolder with the following titles:

• STR Medical Record (Parts 1 through 4)
• STR Medical Record (Parts 5 and 6 – Coast Guard only)
• STR Dental Record (Parts 1 and 2)
• STR Dental Records (Parts 3 and 4 - Navy and Marine Corps only)
• STR Administrative Documentation (Records in this group include the DD Form 2963 referenced in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.3.b.)
• STR MHS GENESIS
• STR HRR (medical records for Army National Guard and Army Reserves)
• AHLTA (records MTFs transfer into HAIMS from the Armed Forces Healthcare Longitudinal Technology Application)
• Loose-Flowing STR Documentation (individual records that were scanned and uploaded into HAIMS before preparation of DD Form 2963), and
• Late-Flowing STR Documentation (individual records that were scanned and uploaded into HAIMS after preparation of DD Form 2963).

Notes:

• To avoid difficulties in identifying STRs in an eFolder, do not change their assigned titles.
• If VBMS users experience difficulty accessing or viewing electronic copies of STRs that HAIMS provides, they should send e-mail notification to VAVBAWAS/CO/HAIMS-DPRIS.

Reference: For more information on late-flowing STR documentation, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.g.

III.ii.2.B.1.g. Late-Flowing STR Documentation in HAIMS

When an MTF scans and uploads late-flowing STRs into HAIMS, the MTF is responsible for notifying the Veteran to whom the STRs belong. The Veteran is then responsible for notifying VA (through submission of the required standard claim form) if he/she wants VA to consider the additional STRs in determining his/her entitlement to VA benefits.

If the Veteran does notify VA, VBMS automatically submits a request for the additional STRs to HAIMS when the station of origination establishes a corresponding claim in VBMS. If the Veteran already has a claim pending in VBMS, the STR documents will flow from HAIMS to VBMS automatically.

III.ii.2.B.1.h. Obtaining STRs in HAIMS for Survivor Benefits Claims

When a survivor benefits claim is established, VBMS will automatically request STRs that are located in HAIMS, as outlined in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.c.

If the automated STR request criteria is not met, claims processors can submit a manual STR request in VBMS from the SERVICE TREATMENT RECORDS page, or follow the procedures in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.i and j to obtain the STRs via JLV.

The table below describes the process for obtaining STRs for survivor benefits claims when attempts to obtain the STRs via VBMS and JLV are unsuccessful.

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References: For more information on

• requesting STRs in VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide
• migration of STRs after service ends, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.3.e, and
• developing claims for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and death compensation, see M21-1, Part XII, Subpart ii, 1.

III.ii.2.B.1.i. Accessing Electronic Copies of Health Records Through JLV

JLV is a web-based viewer that delivers real-time access to DOW and VA electronic health information to RO personnel. Records that are viewable in JLV include

• copies of paper STRs that have been scanned into HAIMS
• in-service treatment records stored in AHLTA (part of the certified and complete STRs), and
• post-service treatment at an MTF.

VA employees must check JLV for the availability of in-service treatment records anytime

• they are unable to obtain a complete set of a Veteran’s STRs through the other means described in this section, or
• the available STRs do not show the alleged event, injury, or disease.

Note: Because DOW certifies as complete the collection of STRs it stores electronically in HAIMS, any electronic copies of STRs that VA can access through JLV should be identical to records uploaded to the VBMS eFolder via the automated request for STRs from HAIMS.

References: For more information on

• accessing electronic records in JLV, see the JLV User Guide, and
• obtaining additional health records located in JLV, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.j.

III.ii.2.B.1.j. Associating Health Records Located in JLV

Claims processors that identify and access health records in JLV, as described in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.i, must associate the relevant records with the claims folder.

Follow the steps in the table below to associate records with the claims folder.

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Important: STRs obtained via JLV and uploaded to VBMS must include a copy of the DD Form 2963, if one is available.

References: For more information on

• accessing electronic records in JLV, see the JLV User Guide, and
• uploading documents to VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide.

III.ii.2.B.1.k. Requesting STRs From NPRC

NPRC houses STRs of Veterans whose service ended prior to the dates shown in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.4.d.

M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.4.h contains instructions for requesting STRs from the NPRC.

Claims processors must compare the records currently uploaded in VBMS with previous NPRC records requests prior to taking the actions directed in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.4.h, to avoid submitting an unnecessary request for records that have already been obtained.

III.ii.2.B.1.l. Requesting STRs for Veterans Discharged During the Transition From Paper to Electronic STRs

The military services stopped submitting paper STRs to VA, effective January 1, 2014. However, the original paper STRs for Veterans separating or retired between September 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013, may not have been sent to VA by the January 1, 2014, cutoff date.

The military services created electronic copies of these STRs and uploaded the records into HAIMS. VBMS will automatically generate a request for these STRs. If HAIMS does not successfully transmit the STRs, follow the steps in the table below.

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References: For more information on

• accessing electronic records in JLV, see the JLV User Guide
• obtaining additional health records located in JLV, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.j
• requesting records through PIES, see the PIES User Guide
• records previously stored at RMC, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.5.a
• extraction, scanning, and uploading of STRs previously stored in RMC file banks, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.A.5.d
• following up on requests for records held by NPRC, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.3.a
• creating tracked items and uploading documents to VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide, and
• the appropriate tracked item for following up on HAIMS STR requests, see M21-4, Appendix D.