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What Is a Disability Benefits Questionnaire?

For providing diligent service, loyalty, and protection to our country, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers medical care and financial benefits for Veterans. The VA is dedicated to reviewing and providing disability benefits to Veterans who are facing long-term physical and/or emotional impacts from their time in service.

In order to expand the access for Veterans seeking to apply for disability benefits, the VA created the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ). Ultimately, the goal is to enable Veterans to get the compensation they deserve in honor of their service to our country.

Applying For VA Disability Benefits

Despite the VA’s goal of providing benefits to deserving Veterans, the process of applying for disability benefits can be tedious and challenging. A Veteran hoping to file for disability benefits should be able to identify with one of the four conditions created by the VA:

  • Direct Service Connection: when a condition is a direct result of your service
  • Aggravated Conditions: when a pre-existing condition becomes worse due to your service
  • Presumptive Conditions: when a condition is presumed to be service-related due to a specific exposure, event, or time served
  • Secondary Condition: when a disability is caused or worsened by a pre-existing service-related condition

So, if a Veteran is experiencing mental and/or physical disabilities due to their service, he or she is entitled to apply for disability benefits. In order to submit an application, a Veteran will need to include proof of their disability, evidence that the disability is related to their service, and complete application details.

The VA then reviews their application. Within 6-8 months, on average, Veterans can expect to be granted disability benefits or receive a denial with the option to reapply.

The Disability Benefits Questionnaire

In order to increase the likelihood of having your application accepted by the VA on the first try, it is important to include clear proof of your disability. Often this proof can come from the validation of a doctor evaluation. With the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ), Veterans are able to download a form for their primary care doctor directly from the VA’s website. This form contains the specific information needed for a medical evaluation.

The form uses standard medical language and a checklist format so anyone with a medical license is able to successfully complete a VA DBQ. It is important to note that the DBQs cover more than 70 different medical conditions and have tailored forms for each disability. When deciding to use a DBQ, make sure you download the correct evaluation form for your condition.

While the form covers a wide range of conditions, the following are not evaluated using a VA DBQ:

  • Cold injury residuals
  • General medical examination for compensation purposes
  • General medical examination for pension purposes
  • Gulf War medical examination
  • Hearing loss and tinnitus
  • Initial examination for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Prisoner of war examination protocol
  • Residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI)

While it is not required, the VA recommends that the examination is conducted in a VA facility. These facilities have the necessary equipment to properly evaluate Veteran medical conditions.

How Will The Disability Benefits Questionnaire Help Me?

Prior to the use of the VA DBQ, Veterans were only allowed to have a medical evaluation for Veterans disability benefits completed at a VA healthcare facility. However, the DBQ makes the medical evaluation much more accessible.

Now, Veterans can be evaluated by their own doctors and are not required to go to a VA healthcare facility. By having the comfort of your own doctor, Veterans are more likely to partake in a medical evaluation for VA disability benefits. This process also makes it faster for Veterans to continue completing their application for disability benefits as efficiently as possible.

Call Us and Learn How a Disability Benefits Questionnaire Affects Your VA Benefits Application

At Fight4Vets, we are dedicated to helping Veterans nationwide access the compensation they deserve. We are grateful for the sacrifices you have made for us and want to help by advocating for your rights to disability benefits. With our team of experienced VA-accredited attorneys, we understand how the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) help your application and make sure you are doing everything needed to get approved. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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