What is a C&P Exam?
A C&P Exam, or Compensation and Pension exam, is a medical assessment conducted by a VA-approved physician. The C&P exam is used to document information about a Veteran’s condition and determine how severe the condition may be affecting the Veteran’s life.
Why Do Veterans Have C&P Exams?
Most Veterans who submit a VA claim for a believable service-connected disability will have to go through a C&P exam. The VA requires most Veterans to go through C&P Exams so their claim can be proven with medical evidence by a VA certified physician. If you have a condition that occurred while you were in service and you have filed VA form 21-526EZ, then you will likely be contacted for a C&P Exam.
Do all Veterans Have a C&P Exam?
In some cases, a Veteran will not have to go through a C&P exam. Typically, this is because the VA may have sufficient medical evidence within a claim to make their decision.
What to Expect the Day of a C&P Exam
During the exam, a doctor or nurse will review a Veteran’s c-file, which is a combination of medical documents from the Department of Defense (DoD). The examiner will also look through the Veteran’s treatment records to determine if more evaluation is needed. If the examiner finds that a condition was caused or aggravated from military service, then they will provide a nexus statement that helps win VA disability claims.
The goal of the examiner is to try to assess your condition from when it first happened up until the present day of the exam. Therefore, it’s important to be honest and unbiased when the examiner asks questions related to the present-day severity of a condition.
Recommendations for an Easy C&P Exam:
- View an example DBQ (Disability Benefits Questionnaire) form
- Arrive at your appointment early
- Provide examples of how your condition(s) affects your daily life
- Be unbiased and honest
- Don’t exaggerate
- Bring a family member who understands your condition(s)
- Communicate the whole story of your condition to your examiner
If you have an upcoming C&P Exam and you want real answers from real Veterans who have been through the same exam, please give us a call today. We will tell you what to expect, how to prepare, and answer any questions you may have. Strategic Veteran is a free resource for all Veterans – give us a call today at 800-761-9004.
Types of Exams
At the basic level, there are basically two types of exams – mental and musculoskeletal. Most C&P examiners have a general clinical training which allows them to perform most exams. However, some Veterans may visit a specialized examiner depending on the disability claim.
However, the clinical training to perform C&P exams includes 7 areas of specialty:
- Mental disorders
- PTSD
- MST
- TBI
- Medical opinions
- Aggravation opinions
- Gulf War injuries
Typically, you will not visit the same physician for a mental and musculoskeletal disability. If you have multiple varying conditions, you can probably expect to see more than one physician for a C&P exam.