Why VA records alone aren’t enough: The case for private medical evidence

There's a lot of debate among veterans when it comes to choosing a private medical evidence provider, and also whether or not it's necessary or a good idea. If you've been confused, you're not alone – one quick scroll through Reddit reveals that many veterans are having similar thoughts and questions about the necessity of private medical evidence for their VA disability benefits claim:

So what's the answer? While it's never a one-size-fits-all process, working with an honest, qualified private medical evidence provider can give veterans massive advantages when it comes to proving their condition to the VA.

We're not here to tell you what to do – we're here to educate so you can make a well-thought out decision about your claim. Here's how working with a private medical evidence provider helps veterans:

It gives veterans a fully developed claim

We see many veterans submitting undeveloped claims, making it harder to earn a decent rating or even any service connection at all. A fully developed claim is when a veteran submits relevant evidence and documentation all at the same time, rather than leaving it to the VA to gather missing information.

By working with a trustworthy private medical evidence provider, veterans can be sure that their claim documentation is fully developed.

Connecting the medical dots is easier with a Nexus Letter

Private medical evidence providers often write Nexus Letters for veterans. Nexus Letters might sound complicated, but the simple purpose of them is to prove a medical nexus (we covered common truths and misconceptions about them here). This document includes a medical opinion that explains the connection between your condition to service or to another service-connected condition.

A lot of veterans have gaps in care, which makes it difficult for the VA to see how your record or a service event matches up with causing your current condition or disability. This is where a Nexus Letter can be a massive help.

When written by a licensed and qualified medical provider (like someone on our team at MRPY), it connects all of the dots of your medical history to outline a clear and cohesive history for the VA to review.

With the right team, veterans will understand what they need

There's a lot out there, and it can be hard for veterans to understand what they need for their VA disability benefits claim. Working with a private medical evidence team who knows the VA system thoroughly (because they've been through it themselves – like us) can save time, energy, and money in the long run.

Not every case needs private medical evidence. Each veteran's situation is different. By choosing a team that carefully reviews and understands the condition/disability, you'll get exactly what is needed minus the fluff.

More pages don't always mean a better chance of success (who wants to read a 20 page Nexus Letter unless it's truly needed!) – not most people, and definitely not the VA. Beware of companies that try to distract with extra volume that doesn't add value.

Do your research and work with a team you trust

Like we said above, we're not here to push sales tactics on you. Take your time to understand what you need before agreeing to work with any private medical evidence provider. There are a lot of negative things out there, and it can be difficult to tell who is honest and who isn't. Many companies genuinely want to help.

A good rule of thumb is that if they're making big promises ahead of time, it's probably too good to be true. We'll always be honest with you about your options and try to find the best solution together. Our focus is on precision, including everything that you need without any unnecessary extras.

We're here if you need us

Get a Nexus Letter, DBQ, chart review, or something else from our friendly and qualified team. A strong VA disability benefits claim starts with proper documentation, and we can help you get what you need to be prepared. Begin with a chart review, or view our other services here.

If you'd simply like more information to get comfortable with the idea of private medical evidence, we'd love to help.