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Cross Talk - When the VBA and VHA Communicate

  • ​The Department of Veterans Affairs is made up of three different Administrations:

Cross Talk - When the VBA and VHA Communicate

The Department of Veterans Affairs is made up of three different Administrations:

  1. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA);

  2. Veterans Health Administration (VHA); and

  3. National Cemetery Administration.

Normally they do not interact with one another. However, there are some circumstances in which the VBA and VHA will talk with one another.

 

Situations in Which they Communicate - But Raters are NOT Involved

While the two administrations may communicate, it does NOT mean any medical evidence will end up on a rater's desk!

In the following cases, the VHA will communicate with the VBA, but the VBA won't particularly care and won't do anything:

  • You are admitted to a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) as an inpatient for a service connected condition for less than 21 continuous days;

  • You are admitted to a VAMC for a Non-Service Connected condition for any length of time;

  • You have surgery at a VAMC for a Non-Service Connected condition; or

  • You have surgery at a VAMC for a Service Connected condition but do NOT meet any of the criteria listed HERE.

 

Situations in Which they Communicate - And Raters ARE Involved

In the following cases, a rater may use the information the VHA provides:

  • You are admitted to a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) as an inpatient for a service connected condition for at least 22 continuous days.

  • You have surgery at a VAMC for a Service Connected condition and DO meet any of the criteria listed HERE;

  • You filed a New claim or Appeal; or

  • One or more of your conditions came up for a regularly scheduled reevaluation.

  • Conditions that are static are NOT subject to regularly scheduled reevaluations. To determine which conditions are static you will need to look at your Code sheet. There is no way to look it up online yourself.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

  • Even if your VHA records do get in front of a rater. It does NOT mean they will use it to reduce your ratings. At worst, you will be sent to a Compensation and pension exam where the VBA will seek to understand current severity of your condition(s). Raters seriously are not gonna go out of their way hunting through your VHA records to look for reasons to reduce you.

 

References

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