Understanding nexus letters is key to building a strong VA disability claim. This guide breaks down when you need one, what makes it effective, and why many claims are denied even with medical records. Learn how to strengthen your evidence and clearly explain the connection between your condition and your service.

THE EVIDENCE BRIEF by MRPY Professional Services | V2 - July 2026 Empowering lessons from real VA disability benefit claims Hi Veterans! Tara here. Let's talk about the curse of being too close when it comes to VA claims... One of the challenges of working in VA disability is that veterans know their own stories so well, they sometimes assume everyone else will understand too. And I get it... Many veterans spend years dealing with their conditions. They remember every appoint

THE EVIDENCE BRIEF by MRPY Professional Services | V1 - June 2026 Empowering lessons from real VA disability benefit claims This month's opening thoughts The cost of how we show up... Hi veterans, Tara here. Earlier this month I attended a VA disability workshop with the same goal everyone else in the room had: to learn, share knowledge, and help veterans move their claims forward. The presenter was knowledgeable, respectful, and focused on helping veterans navigate a complic

Veterans, do you have questions about VA disability benefits claims, service-connection, common conditions that veterans face, or something else VA-related? We're answering them with full honesty. We recently started Ask MRPY: a Q&A submission where veterans can submit questions that we answer in our blogs or social media content. Here's how it works: How to submit your questions Head over to Ask MRPY here and fill out the short form with your name, email, and question. We'll

Every veteran's situation is different, which means their needs in preparing a VA disability benefits claim are also unique. Some veterans need a nexus letter, others don't. Some veterans prefer to get a nexus letter from a doctor they already are familiar with.** This can add depth to your claim, but the problem is many doctors don't have the time or VA-specific experience to make a persuasive nexus letter. That's exactly why we created Nexus Prep Documents™, a detailed guid

If you search "best nexus letter company", you'll be greeted with a lot of fancy promises and likely some confusion over who you can really trust. You might've seen us before and wondered, "is MRPY legit?" – and it's a valid question in this day and age where many companies are looking to profit from veterans without delivering trustworthy services. If you're trying to choose a medical evidence provider for VA disability benefits, keep reading this to learn about how MRPY is

If you're a veteran, you've probably heard all about nexus letters and DBQs – but what's the deal? What are they, and what do they really do for your claim? We'll cover the basics in this blog so that you can stay informed about what makes the most sense for you VA disability benefits claim. Here's what veterans should know about nexus letters, DBQs, and the differences between the two: What are nexus letters? A nexus letter is a medical opinion document that is used to conne

There are a lot of reasons that the VA denies claims – some more common than others . At MRPY Professional services, we offer 100% free rebuttal letters in the event that you've worked with us and received a denial. Let us explain… What is a VA rebuttal letter? VA rebuttal letters are response documents that argue or explain how the VA denial is incorrect. If additional arguments need to be added that were not in the original Nexus Letter (due to points made from the C&P exam

A lot of veterans focus on getting a diagnosis for their VA disability benefits claim, but it's not always enough to secure compensation. There's another highly important factor to consider: functional impairment. Learning what functional impairment means and how it impacts your VA disability benefits claim is a vital component in getting the benefits you deserve. It can make a massive difference in the outcome of your claim. Here's what functional impairment means, and how

Digestive conditions are a common challenge for many veterans. These conditions can impact daily life, especially when symptoms are chronic and painful – making things disruptive on an every day basis. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diverticulitis are two common digestive conditions that veterans face, and while they have some similarities in that they both involve the digestive system, they are two different conditions with different treatments and VA rating scales. It

Radiculopathy is the official term for what many of us call "a pinched nerve" or “sciatica”. This common service-connected condition is faced by many veterans. Between service events that cause specific injuries and years of wear and tear due to the physical demands of the military, radiculopathy can develop as a result of several different initial factors. In this blog, we'll cover the basics of radiculopathy – what it is, how it shows up – and how it works when it comes t

Hearing loss is a common service-connectable condition that many veterans file VA disability benefits claims for. Due to the physical demands of military service, harsh environments, and challenging time spent in combat – many veterans have hearing loss from either a specific service event or years of prolonged exposure to high-noise environments. Veterans are at a higher risk of developing hearing loss compared to civilians, and a lot of the time, it doesn't show up until ye

The VA denies VA disability benefit claims from veterans for a wide range of different reasons – but some are more common than others. Many times, we see the same simple mistakes made by veterans over and over again, leading to denials that could have been easily avoided. When veterans properly prepare for their claims, there is far less of a chance that the VA will deny them right off the bat. Educating yourself on what the VA actually needs and looks for can make a world of

Residuals versus symptoms: What are the differences between the two, and what does it mean for a veteran's VA disability benefits claim? This is a common point of confusion for many veterans, and understandably so. The world of VA disability benefits is full of many different terms and phrases, many of which seem overly similar to one another. We'll compare the two of these in this blog and let you know what you need to keep in mind while preparing to file your claim. Here's

It's common to hear people say: "You need a diagnosis in order to get service-connection for VA disability benefits." It's so common that a lot of veterans will put off filing a claim because they don't have a diagnosis. But the thing is, you don't even need one. It's not a requirement by the VA. Sounds too good to be true? Luckily, it's not – we'll explain more below: The difference between a medical nexus and a medical diagnosis Before we dive into the non-need for a diagno

Injuries to upper body parts and other service-related conditions can affect a veteran's health and mobility, both short and long-term. Between intense training requirements and service time spent in harsh environments , many veterans experience complications as a result of repeated physical strain . This can show up during service, or appear much later on. If you're a veteran dealing with an injury from a service event during combat or orthopedic upper body complications fro

Lower body orthopedic conditions are some of the most commonly filed claims when it comes to VA disability benefits. Harsh training, intense environments , and the everyday physical strains of being in the military can add up over time, leading to lower body injuries and conditions that can impact a veteran's mobility. Whether you're dealing with knee issues or lower back pain, understanding how the VA rates these conditions is critical for filing a fully-developed claim tha

Arthritis and osteoarthritis are two common service-connectable conditions that many veterans file VA disability benefits claims for. These conditions occur frequently among veterans due to a few different reasons, many of which have to do with the physical demands of military service and other service-connectable conditions that can place strain on the body. These conditions can significantly affect the daily lives of veterans, and as a result can be eligible for VA disabi

Many veterans have heard of both C&P exams and ACE reviews – and sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably. Both of these are types of evaluations that many veterans have to go through in order to get their VA disability benefits, but they are not the same thing. If veterans take the time to understand the differences between C&P exams and ACE reviews, they can better navigate the claims process. In this blog, we'll cover the similarities and differences, including ev

Recently, we've written about toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) and also provided an update on how these claims are gaining traction with the VA . Due to increased amounts of research, awareness, and VA updates around military toxic exposures, policy momentum has been growing when it comes to VA disability benefits claims. Veterans who have experienced toxic exposure risk activities during their time in the military should be familiar with different exposure examples an