Nexus Veteran MD
VA Disability Resources for Veterans
These resources explain how VA disability claims work — what medical evidence matters, what a nexus letter does, how conditions are rated, and what to expect at a C&P examination. Everything here is educational and written by or reviewed by medical professionals.
Nexus Veteran MD is a private company. We are not the Department of Veterans Affairs and are not affiliated with it. Official VA resources are linked separately below.
Explore Our Resources
Start with whatever matches your situation. If you’re not sure where to begin, the featured resources cover the questions most veterans have first.
Featured Resources
Start Here: What Is a Nexus Letter?
The medical opinion connecting a condition to your service — what it is, when it’s needed, and when it isn’t.
How It Works
What happens from first contact through a completed medical opinion.
Secondary Service Connection Explained
How one service-connected condition can lead to a claim for another, and the difference between causation and aggravation.
Find Your Condition
Condition-specific guides covering rating criteria, evidence, and when a medical opinion helps.
What to Expect at a C&P Examination
How the exam works and what the examiner is documenting.
Nexus Letter Resources
A nexus letter is a written medical opinion addressing whether a diagnosed condition is at least as likely as not related to military service, or to another service-connected condition. It is evidence the VA weighs — not a decision.
- What Is a VA Nexus Letter?
- How Does a Nexus Letter Work?
- What Should a Nexus Letter Include?
- When You May Not Need a Nexus Letter
Secondary Service Connection
Secondary service connection applies when an already service-connected condition — or the medication used to treat it — causes or worsens another condition.
Two theories exist, and they need different evidence. Causation means the service-connected condition produced the new one. Aggravation means it worsened something that already existed, which requires establishing a baseline severity beforehand.
Condition guides covering secondary claims [all DRAFTED — not published]:
- Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD
- Sleep Apnea Secondary to Rhinitis
- IBS Secondary to PTSD
- GERD Secondary to Medication
- Hypertension Secondary to PTSD
- Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to a Service-Connected Condition
VA Disability Condition Resources
Each guide covers how the VA rates the condition, what evidence supports a claim, and when a medical opinion may help. All drafted, none published.
Mental Health Depression and Anxiety · PTSD
Neurological Traumatic Brain Injury · Migraines
Musculoskeletal Lumbar and Cervical Spine · Knee Conditions · Shoulder Conditions · Plantar Fasciitis
Hearing Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Respiratory and Upper Airway Rhinitis and Sinusitis · Sleep Apnea (secondary claims)
Digestive IBS Secondary to PTSD · GERD Secondary to Medication
Skin Skin Conditions
Multi-System Chronic Fatigue and Gulf War Illness
Other Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to a Service-Connected Condition
A note on categories: tinnitus and hearing loss are separated from neurological rather than grouped there, and Gulf War Illness is listed as multi-system rather than forced into one body system. Both reflect how VA and clinicians actually treat them.
VA Medical Evidence Resources
Most claims that fail don’t fail because the veteran isn’t disabled. They fail because the file is missing something.
Evidence that commonly matters: service treatment records, a current diagnosis, treatment and medication history, documented severity and functional impact, lay statements from people who know you, prior C&P results, and a medical nexus opinion where causation is disputed.
- What Evidence Supports a VA Disability Claim? [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- Medical Records Checklist [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- Lay Statements: What They Are and When They Help [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
No single piece of evidence guarantees an outcome.
C&P Examination Resources
A Compensation and Pension examination is how the VA evaluates a claimed condition. The examiner documents findings; they don’t decide your claim.
The most useful preparation is accurate recall: when symptoms started, how often they occur, what you can no longer do, and what treatment you’ve tried. Describe your condition honestly, including how it is on bad days.
- What Happens at a C&P Exam [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- What to Bring and How to Prepare [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- After the Exam: What Happens Next [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
DBQ Resources
A Disability Benefits Questionnaire is a standardized VA form documenting the clinical findings for a specific condition — symptoms, severity, treatment, and examination results.
A DBQ documents how severe a condition is. A nexus letter addresses where it came from. A claim may need one, both, or neither.
A DBQ does not by itself establish service connection or determine a rating.
- What Is a DBQ? [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- DBQ vs. Nexus Letter [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
VA Claim Preparation Resources
- Evidence Checklist [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- Reviewing Your VA Decision Letter [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- Questions to Ask Your Doctor [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
- If Your Claim Was Denied [CONTENT ASSET TO CREATE]
Helpful Official VA Resources
These are external government resources, not ours. Nexus Veteran MD is not affiliated with the VA.
- VA Disability Compensation — eligibility, rates, and how to file · va.gov
- VA Forms — official claim and appeal forms · va.gov
- Find an Accredited Representative — VA’s directory of accredited attorneys, claims agents, and VSOs, many of whom assist at no cost · va.gov
- VA Health Care — enrollment and eligibility · va.gov
- eCFR Title 38 — the actual regulations, including the rating schedule · ecfr.gov
- Board of Veterans’ Appeals Decisions — searchable past decisions · va.gov
- Veterans Crisis Line — 24/7 support: dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255
Need Help?
If you’ve read through these and still aren’t sure whether your records support a claim, that’s the question a medical review is designed to answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a VA nexus letter?
A written medical opinion stating whether a diagnosed condition is at least as likely as not connected to military service or another service-connected condition.
What is secondary service connection?
When a service-connected condition, or the medication treating it, causes or worsens another condition, that second condition may also be claimed with supporting medical evidence.
What evidence can support a VA disability claim?
Service treatment records, a current diagnosis, treatment and medication history, documentation of functional impact, lay statements, and a medical opinion where causation is disputed.
What is a C&P examination?
A Compensation and Pension examination is how the VA evaluates a claimed condition. The examiner documents findings and severity; the VA makes the decision.
Where can I find official VA resources?
VA.gov is the authoritative source for claims, forms, and eligibility. VA also maintains a free directory of accredited representatives who can assist with claims.