Glossary
Every VA acronym, in plain English
The VA system runs on jargon. NOD, HLR, BVA, CUE, RAMP, DRO, EAJA, C&P, DBQ, FDC, P&T, TDIU, CRSC, CRDP, VR&E, PCAFC. Here is what every one of them means and when it matters.
- AMAAppeals Modernization Act
- The 2017 law (effective 2/19/2019) that replaced the legacy appeals system with three lanes: Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, Board Appeal. If your decision was issued before 2/19/2019, you may still be in the legacy system.
- BVABoard of Veterans’ Appeals
- The judges in Washington who decide appeals filed via Form 10182. Three sub-routes: direct review (~12-18 months), evidence submission (~18-24 months), hearing (3-7 years).
- C&P examCompensation & Pension exam
- The medical exam ordered by the VA to evaluate a claimed condition. Usually performed by a contractor (Optum Serve, LHI, QTC) on a DBQ form. Single highest-leverage moment in the claim.
- C-FileClaims File
- Every piece of evidence the VA has ever seen on you. Request via VA Form 20-10206. Takes 4-12 weeks to fulfill. Essential for appeals.
- CRDPConcurrent Retirement and Disability Pay
- For military retirees with 20+ years of service and 50%+ VA rating: receive both military retirement pay and full VA disability with no offset. Automatic; no application required.
- CRSCCombat-Related Special Compensation
- For military retirees whose VA-rated disability is combat-related: tax-free monthly payment from the service branch (not the VA) replacing the offset that would otherwise apply. Application-required — file with your service branch, not the VA.
- CUEClear and Unmistakable Error
- A motion to reopen a final VA decision based on a plain factual or legal error in the original adjudication. High bar: not just “they were wrong,” but “they were so obviously wrong that no reasonable rater could have decided that way on the law and facts then existing.” Effective date can reach back to the original decision.
- DBQDisability Benefits Questionnaire
- The structured form a C&P examiner (or your private doctor) completes to evaluate a condition. Each diagnostic code has its own DBQ. Vets can fill out a private-provider DBQ to bypass the C&P process for some conditions.
- DEADependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
- Education benefits for children and spouses of vets who are 100% P&T or who died from a service-connected disability. Up to 36 months of tuition assistance.
- DICDependency and Indemnity Compensation
- Monthly payment to surviving spouses, children, or dependent parents of vets who died from a service-connected condition or who were 100% P&T for the qualifying period before death.
- DRODecision Review Officer
- Legacy-era senior reviewer. The post-AMA equivalent is the Higher-Level Review (HLR) reviewer. If your case is in legacy you may still see DRO terminology.
- EAJAEqual Access to Justice Act
- Federal law allowing prevailing parties in some appeals against the government to recover attorney’s fees. In VA practice, accredited attorneys often work on contingency under EAJA, meaning the vet pays nothing if the appeal succeeds.
- FDCFully Developed Claim
- A 21-526EZ election certifying that all evidence in support of the claim is being submitted with the form (or already in VA possession). Can shave months off the timeline. DO NOT elect FDC if you still need to gather private records.
- HLRHigher-Level Review
- Post-AMA appeal lane (Form 20-0996). A senior rater re-reads the existing record. No new evidence allowed (with narrow exceptions). Median 5-7 months. Right lane when the rater MIS-APPLIED the law on existing evidence.
- ITFIntent to File
- VA Form 21-0966 (or a phone call to 1-800-827-1000). Establishes an effective date one year before you formally file the 21-526EZ. ITFs are good for one year and protect retro back-pay.
- M21-1
- The VA adjudication procedures manual. Internal-use rater handbook. Cited in advanced claims to argue what a rater should be doing per VA policy.
- MSTMilitary Sexual Trauma
- Sexual assault or harassment during military service. PTSD claims with MST as the stressor are evaluated under 38 CFR 3.304(f)(5), which explicitly allows behavioral markers (transfer requests, performance drops, contemporaneous letters) as evidence when direct corroboration is missing.
- NODNotice of Disagreement
- Legacy-era appeal trigger. Replaced under AMA by the three lanes. If you see NOD referenced, the case is probably pre-2019.
- NPRCNational Personnel Records Center
- St. Louis archive holding most pre-1973 service records. Partial 1973 fire destroyed a significant portion of pre-1960s records, especially Army and Air Force. SF-180 is the request form.
- P&TPermanent and Total
- A 100% rating designated as both permanent (no future re-evaluation expected) and total (100% combined). Triggers extra benefits: Chapter 35 DEA for dependents, CHAMPVA, full property-tax exemption in many states.
- PACT ActPromise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act
- August 2022 law expanding presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange (incl. hypertension), Camp Lejeune, and radiation exposure.
- PCAFCProgram of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
- Monthly stipend ($2,500-$4,000+) and benefits for the family caregiver of a 70%+ rated post-9/11 or pre-1975 veteran with daily-living care needs.
- RAMPRapid Appeals Modernization Program
- Transitional pilot program (2017-2019) that previewed the AMA lanes. Defunct now — if you opted into RAMP, your appeal moved into AMA on 2/19/2019.
- RVSRRating Veterans Service Representative
- The VA employee who applies 38 CFR Part 4 to your evidence and assigns the percentages. The audience for everything in your claim packet.
- SCService-Connected
- A condition the VA has determined was caused or aggravated by military service. Service-connection is the threshold question; rating percentage is the second question.
- SMCSpecial Monthly Compensation
- Additional monthly payment above the schedular rate for severe disabilities, loss-of-use, aid-and-attendance need, or specific combinations (100% + 60% from a different body system). Most under-claimed VA benefit by dollar value.
- STRService Treatment Records
- Medical records generated during military service. The first place a rater looks for an in-service event. The VA pulls them from NPRC for active-duty service automatically.
- Supplemental Claim
- Post-AMA appeal lane (Form 20-0995). Submit new and relevant evidence. Median 5-7 months. The only lane that lets you add new evidence after a denial.
- TDIUTotal Disability based on Individual Unemployability
- 100% pay rate at less-than-100% schedular rating, when the vet’s service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment. Schedular path (60%+ single condition or 70% combined with one 40%) and extra-schedular path.
- VR&EVeteran Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31)
- Career rehab program: tuition + fees + housing allowance + book stipend, career counseling, workplace accommodations. 12-year delimiting date repealed in 2020.
- VSOVeterans Service Officer
- A VA-accredited representative authorized under 38 USC 5904 to file claims on a veteran’s behalf. Free if from a recognized veterans service organization (VFW, DAV, American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America) or a state veterans service office.