Never filed a claim? Start here.
You're not behind — you're in the best possible spot: a chance to do it right the first time. We'll walk you through it, one step at a time. Do the steps in any order, and pick up where you left off.
"My ears ring all the time. My back's been shot for years. I sleep like garbage. I figured that's just how it is now — and I have no idea where you even start with the VA."
💬 Ask US Vet Help — free. Marcus taps it.
Because Marcus was near burn pits, his chronic sinusitis is presumptive — no nexus letter needed to prove the cause.
Green means ready. Yellow/red means "here's exactly what's missing" — with a button to fix it.
Sleep apnea — his records show a pattern consistent with sleep apnea secondary to his chronic sinusitis. That's a whole condition Marcus didn't know to claim.
| 10% | 1–2 sinus infections/year |
| 30% | 3+ infections/year, or 3+ non-incapacitating episodes |
| 50% | After surgery, chronic; or 6+ non-incapacitating episodes/yr |
From "I don't know where to start" → a complete, evidence-backed initial claim.
Any rating — 0% and up — lets you enroll in VA health care. What changes with your rating is the copay. Clear 50% and VA health care becomes fully copay-free for you. VA combines each rating together, so several moderate conditions add up fast — which is exactly why filing a thorough first claim matters. (Full breakdown in Good to know, below.)
Pick the one that fits — we'll point you the right way. Not sure? Use the Ask US Vet Help button in the corner anytime.
You can do every one of these yourself on VA.gov — our tools just make each step faster and stronger. We help you prepare; you file.
Two quick things. First, make sure you can sign in to VA.gov — that's where you'll file, upload evidence, and track everything. Then create your free US Vet Help account so the conditions, notes, and drafts you build here are saved in one place (your Claim File).
Write down everything connected to your service — even things you've "just lived with": ringing ears, hearing loss, back/knee/shoulder pain, sleep problems, headaches, anxiety/depression/PTSD, stomach issues, breathing, skin. Minor-seeming conditions still add to your combined rating. Then let our tools find the ones you'd miss.
For each condition you need three things: a current diagnosis, an in-service event or exposure, and a link between them. Pull your service treatment records, and request your C-file. Where the link isn't obvious, add a nexus letter (your doctor signs) and your own personal statement.
File an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966) first — it locks your effective date so back pay counts from today while you gather evidence (you get up to a year). Then file the claim itself (VA Form 21-526EZ) on VA.gov, listing every supportable condition at once.
The VA schedules a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam. This is where ratings are won or lost. Go in prepared, describe your worst days, and be honest about how each condition limits work and daily life. Know the exact rating criteria the examiner is measuring you against — before you walk in.
You've walked the full path from first login to C&P exam. Everything you built is saved in your Claim File. When something's unclear, the Ask US Vet Help button is always in the corner.
Open my Command Center →Here's what most veterans get wrong: any rating — 0% and up — lets you enroll in VA health care and be seen for any condition, even ones unrelated to service. What changes with your rating is the copay:
So the goal of a strong first claim is to clear 50% — that's when VA health care becomes fully copay-free for you, the veteran. (Coverage for your family — CHAMPVA — opens at 100% Permanent & Total.)
VA is moving its health records to a new system (Oracle Health), one medical center at a time, through about 2031. If your VA facility is going live soon, a few steps keep both your care and your claim evidence intact:
Your portal stays My HealtheVet on VA.gov (the old "My VA Health" was folded back in). This changes how records are stored, not what you're owed. VA's EHR resources for veterans →
US Vet Help is a self-help tool built by a 100% disabled combat veteran. We are not VA-accredited, we don't give legal or medical advice, and we don't file claims or represent veterans — you file, we help you prepare. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
