How to Prepare for a C&P Exam

Getting a notice for a Compensation & Pension exam is all part of the VA disability benefits process, so don’t worry when your name gets drawn. The VA just wants to make sure your disability hasn’t changed, for better or worse. While a C&P exam isn’t anything you should worry about, you do need to take it seriously. Here are four things you can do to prepare for a Compensation and Pension Exam or C&P exam.

  1. Know What’s Being Examined– If you have multiple disabilities, the first step is to figure out which disability will be examined. This most likely won’t be made perfectly clear in your notice. Simply calling the VA medical center that will be hosting your C&P exam will let you know the answer to this question.

  2. Know What Questions They’ll Ask– There is a list of disability benefits questionnaires  (DBQ) on the VA’s website that will outline a list of questions that will most likely be asked during a C&P exam. The DBQs are organized by categories of disabilities such as dermatological, neurological, and respiratory. Before your exam, find the DBQ that matches your disability and prep for the questions listed.

  3. Know Your Day to Day– The doctor doing your exam will only see how your symptoms are for a brief period on one day. This might give them a false impression of the full scope of your disability. To give them a full picture of your disability, keep a detailed journal of how your symptoms are doing and what treatment is working.

  4. Know a West Virginia VA Attorney- An experienced VA attorney will know their way around a C&P exam and can help you prepare. Working with an attorney will be particularly helpful with step number two. Know what questions to expect and how to answer them is the most important step in a C&P exam.

 

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