Claim Raven explanation
What this means
When an examination does not provide an adequate basis for considering service connection and evaluation, VA may ask the examiner for a supplementary report. The additional detail can address ordinary activity and prospects for useful work.
This section concerns clarification of a medical record. It does not mean that every disagreement requires a new appointment; the question is what necessary information the existing report lacks.
How this helps your claim
This helps you identify the detail that would make an examination more useful. Point to a specific missing limitation or unexplained finding and the records that show why it matters.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Identify the unanswered medical or functional question.
- Compare the report with relevant treatment notes and documented activity limits.
- Look for any supplementary report that VA obtained and considered.
Identify what clarification would answer the missing question
A supplementary report can clarify a finding without necessarily requiring an entirely new examination. The useful starting point is the information the existing report lacks, such as an explanation of ordinary activity or a relevant work-related limitation.
Compare the report with the issue VA needs to decide. A request for clarification should be about a concrete missing or unclear medical matter, not simply a desire for a more favorable conclusion. The completed supplement should then be read together with the original report and history.
Does every disagreement require a new appointment?
No. Some gaps may be addressed through a supplementary report, while others may require additional assessment. This section concerns obtaining an adequate basis for the decision. The necessary step depends on what is missing, not merely on whether the claimant agrees with the examination's conclusion.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 4.70
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 4.70 Inadequate examinations.
If the report of examination is inadequate as a basis for the required consideration of service connection and evaluation, the rating agency may request a supplementary report from the examiner giving further details as to the limitations of the disabled person's ordinary activity imposed by the disease, injury, or residual condition, the prognosis for return to, or continuance of, useful work. When the best interests of the service will be advanced by personal conference with the examiner, such conference may be arranged through channels.
Related references
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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