Check the Doctor's Records Before They Go to VA: What the File Has to Show

A clinic statement for Aid and Attendance is only as strong as the chart behind it. VA's examination form asks a clinician to describe what the veteran needs help with day to day, and the signed answers should match what the records already show.¹ Before any statement goes into a pension file, pull the underlying records and read them yourself.

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Get the records, not a summary

Request the full visit notes from every clinic, hospital, and specialist that has seen the veteran in the period the form covers. Summaries often drop the detail that matters, such as notes on falls, transfers from bed or chair, bathing, dressing, walking distance, and continence. Ask each office whether it charges for copies and how long it takes. Do not ask anyone to add findings that were not observed.

Check the pages against the form

Read each note for three things. Was the visit in person or by phone? Do the diagnoses listed explain the limits described? Do the notes describe help being given, or only that help is needed? If a note says the veteran walks the hall alone, a statement saying he cannot will be read against it.

Ask the office before you sign anything

Ask who will complete the form and whether that clinician has treated the veteran in person. Ask whether the office sends records to the veteran, to you, or to VA directly, and which release it needs. VA's authorization to release records is a separate form, VA Form 21-4142.² Ask about any fee for completing the form and get the amount in writing before the work starts.

Keep a copy of everything you send

Keep a copy of each record set and each letter, with a note of what was sent and to whom. If VA later asks a question, you can answer from your own file rather than waiting on the clinic.

For free help reading the file, see Local Help: St. Louis Offices. For the full reading order, see Start Here.

Notes

1. VA Form 21-2680, Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance, VA.gov, https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-2680/

2. VA Form 21-4142, Authorization to Disclose Information to the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA.gov, https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-4142/

This desk is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Full source list: Sources.