A denial or a lower rating than you expected is frustrating, especially after months of waiting. That letter isn't the end of the road. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives you three ways to ask for another look: a supplemental claim, a higher-level review, or a Board appeal. For most claims, you have one year from the date on your decision letter to choose.
These options come from the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). Per VA's decision review FAQs, they cover decisions dated on or after February 19, 2019.
Start with the reason in your letter
Your decision letter says why VA decided the way it did, and that reason points you toward the right lane. VA may have found no link to your service, said your symptoms don't meet a higher rating, or never received your private doctor's records.
Anything VA already agreed with, such as your diagnosis, is settled, so focus on what's still in question. Our guide to the VA decision phase and your next steps walks through each part of the letter.
How the one-year window works
The clock starts on the date printed on your letter, not the day it arrived.
- Higher-level review or Board appeal: you have one year to ask for either one.
- Supplemental claim: no hard cutoff, but filing within one year protects your effective date, which shapes any back pay.
Filing each new review within a year of the last decision usually keeps your original effective date, under the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017.
Supplemental claim: you have new evidence
A supplemental claim fits when you have new and relevant evidence: something VA didn't have that could help prove or disprove part of your claim. You file VA Form 20-0995.
Examples of evidence that can count:
- A doctor's written opinion connecting your condition to your service.
- Private clinic treatment records that never made it to VA.
- A statement from a spouse or fellow service member who saw your symptoms.
If you list records on the form, VA can request them for you. Our article on what a VA supplemental claim is goes deeper.
Higher-level review: VA had the evidence but got it wrong
A higher-level review fits when the right evidence was already in your file. A senior reviewer new to your case checks the same record for errors. No new evidence is allowed. You use VA Form 20-0996.
You can ask for an informal conference, a phone call to point the reviewer to the exact error.
Board appeal: a judge reviews your case
A Board appeal sends your case to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals. You use VA Form 10182, a Notice of Disagreement, and pick one of three dockets:
- Direct review. The judge looks only at evidence already in your file.
- Evidence submission. You add new evidence with your form or within a set window afterward.
- Hearing. You talk with the judge directly and can add evidence at or after the hearing.
Check the current Board rules in 38 CFR Part 20 for exact evidence deadlines. After a Board decision, you can go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC), a federal court with its own filing deadline.
Supplemental claim vs higher-level review: picking a lane
Say VA gave your back a low rating after a compensation and pension (C&P) exam on a good day, and never got your physical therapist's notes showing flare-ups. That's new and relevant evidence, so a supplemental claim often fits.
Now say VA denied tinnitus for lack of noise exposure, but missed service records listing you on an artillery crew. The evidence was already there, so a higher-level review fits.
A Board appeal may fit if you want a judge to weigh your case or hear you explain it.
Each issue can have only one review open at a time, but separate conditions can take separate lanes. Our guide to VA decision review options after a denial covers common mistakes.
Each lane moves at its own pace
Supplemental claim | Higher-level review | Board appeal | |
|---|---|---|---|
Who decides | VA claims reviewer | Senior VA reviewer | Veterans Law Judge |
New evidence | Required | Not allowed | Allowed in two dockets |
Form | 20-0995 | 20-0996 | 10182 |
Deadline | None, but file within 1 year to protect your date | 1 year | 1 year |
Typical pace | VA goal: about 125 days | VA goal: about 125 days | Often more than a year |
The 125-day figures are goals listed on VA's decision review pages. Our step-by-step guide to the VA appeal process shows how each one moves.
Choose your path with a Turnout veterans advocate
A Turnout veterans advocate starts with your letter, identifies what's missing, and helps you choose the right path for each condition.
Your accredited claims agent works with you until the final decision. For disability claims and veteran claims, you don't pay unless you win. See how that works on our veterans benefits page, or read how a Turnout advocate works alongside you.
Today, find your decision letter. Write down its date and the reason VA gave for each condition. That's where your advocate starts.
It's your turn. Get started.