New Requirement When Filing a VA Disability Claim as BDD or IDES

Separation Health Assessment Part A now required on claims from transitioning service members.
If you are a transitioning service member applying for VA disability compensation under the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) or the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) program, there are some changes coming that you should know about. Starting April 1, you will be required to complete and submit the Part A Self-Assessment of a new Separation Health Assessment (SHA) with your BDD or IDES application.

The SHA is a single separation examination which supports both the VA disability compensation process and the Department of Defense (DoD) separation/retirement process. The SHA examination documents any medical concerns identified during your military career, assists with identifying future illnesses, and reduces redundant examinations between both agencies.

The SHA is divided into three Parts:

Part A – medical history questionnaire. You must complete Part A prior to attending your clinical assessment;
Part B – clinical assessment. This is where the examiner will review your Part A and your Service Treatment Records (STRs), provide an examination, and then deliver a clinical assessment;
Part C – this is reserved for DoD reviewer purposes only. DoD is expected to fully begin using the SHA later this year.
The SHA Part A questionnaire will provide VA examiners a history of the service member’s medical conditions and will assist with conducting a more thorough and better-quality examination. A link to the Part A questionnaire will be placed on the VA Form 21-526-EZ Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefit, under the eligibility criteria for the BDD program, and on the VA BDD and IDES Fact Sheets. A direct link to Part A is also available here.

BDD claimants who submit applications online can upload the completed Part A with their STRs under the evidence section. After VA receives and reviews the application, STRs, and completed Part A Self-Assessment, an SHA examination will be requested. The SHA clinical assessment will be conducted by one of VA’s contracted examiners or a local VA health care examiner. All evidence submitted by the service member will be made available electronically to the examiner.

The new SHA is a multi-year collaborative effort between both agencies to improve the separation examination process for service members exiting the military.

[rubenvazquezlopez]

I talked to a VA rep and yes, that form is the same one that some individuals filled out at the first visit to VA. Now is filled it before the whole process starts.

[PhantomfTheRouter]

Documentation is a good thing. In the medical world, if it isn't documented, it didn't happen.

[watchingyoutube_]

Filling my SHA out right now, thanks for the helpful video.

[jollygreen]

Yup, we all had the speech, "make sure u don't have problems, or else u can't get a job"

[AridiumInsane]

Working through the SHA process right now. I think I'm decently equipped to fill out the form since I've gotten a lot of things documented and I have done research in the applicable pieces of 38 cfr and the dbqs.

If someone is not prepared it could bite them in the ass if they forget something or if dont list something correctly.

Just my take. I'll let yall know how it goes.

[Gold_of_Yah]

YES! IT HAS TO BE IN YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS IN CASE YOU NEED TO FILE A CLAIM.

[stom]

Appreciate the information. Your videos are always awesome. I may have missed it; where is the info from? I'm at 21 years, and I plan to retire at about 23 years, so I try to follow this type of information as best as possible.

[retiredcryptohunter]

I retired as an E7 last year with 22 years of service. Less than a year before my retirement my XO wanted to book me because he said I was going to medical too much but luckily I had a good corpsman who told him I had legitimate serious medical conditions that should have prevented me from being transferred to his unit in the first place and that it was actually headquarters and medicals fault for allowing injured members to transfer. IMHO I think it was also due to COVID lockdowns because my injuries got overlooked because commands were more concerned about creating new rules and following rules when that train wreck started.

[JimboJones]

I was discharged in 1993, I don't see an exit exam in my in-service medical records. Fortunately I went to sick call for everything.

[deepsixed]

Good thing I submitted my BDD claim on March 16th. I put everything on my separation physical anyways.

[Grimzy-]

I didn’t do my bdd claim I missed the window, I wasnt informed during the MEB briefing so now I have to wait until I’m out I guess

[sofiegwn]

What do you mean by having someone look into it for you before submitting? I thought most 3rd party companies don't touch cases until you've either been denied or already rated and seeking an appeal. I ask because I might be med sep. 11 years in and everything meticulously documented. MST, diagnose anorexia and a few others. I'm awaiting treatment for eating disorder but it's probably just the navy trying to show treatment was given before discharge. This is my second limdue for the same reason. At this point I'm just trying to educate myself as much as possible with VA disability and it's process.

[topgunjoeicdbko]

Thie issue is they want to know all the doctors and places you went to forever for all those claims. Its impossible to gather all this stuff

[guardianyuki]

Noticed this video was uploaded nine months ago. Do you have any more recently updated info about this process? I'm six months out from my retirement from AD. I'll be submitting my claim through BDD. Thanks.

[clydemonroe]

Do you need a nexus letter if you are submitting files for BDD claim and were seen by a civilian provider while still active duty?

[KraftyMix]

Is this separate from the DD 2807-1 Report of Medical History?

[imfloridano]

Make sure you photo copy your entire medical and shot records. Folks don't realize you will have issues when you ETS or retire from the military with the VA process if you didn't CYA. Get them records copied and keep them in a secure location. Also request prior to exiting the military request all x rays and MRI's

[nathanielmoss]

Hello everyone. I have to submit this form by Tuesday, anyone know where I can get some guidance on the SHA part A?

[Greengoat]

This sounds to me just another step to confuse more veterans and service members. My point is this. Your information better match your end of service physical exam where you should be listing all medical and physical injuries line by line. If not, this form is going to become a road block. You're going to get the old "you didn't report this on your final physical exam. Why? Then you will have to work to get everything reevaluated. Time is on the VA side, not yours. BEWARE.

[michael.j]

Im.about to het out and I have no medical history except headaches from a concusion I got 2 years ago but I do have bad back pains and haven't got it diagnosed yet so will this form help me get diagnosed so I can get Compensated?