Questions Veterans Actually Ask

A written medical opinion from a licensed provider connecting your condition to your service — the document that answers "why is this service-connected?" It must state the connection is "at least as likely as not," explain the medical reasoning, and show the records were reviewed. Many claims don't need one at all (presumptive conditions are connected by law), and when one is needed, the VA's own examiner often provides it free at your C&P exam.

Usually not. The letter's content — strategy, wording, supporting evidence — is our work and included in the fee. The signature comes free from the VA's examiner or your own doctor in most cases. If neither works out, we refer you to independent, state-licensed providers who write VA opinions daily; you'd pay them directly (typically $500–$1,000), only after your case manager confirms it's worth it. We take nothing from them — ever.

Because rated and rated right are different things. Anything already service-connected — even at 0% — is a fight already won; raising it is far easier than starting over. Most veterans are also missing conditions entirely: secondaries caused by what's already connected, presumptives they never claimed, and dependents never added to their award.

Possibly, right now. At 30%+ combined, the VA pays additional monthly compensation for a spouse and children — but only if you filed the form to add them. A large share of veterans never did. It's owed money, back-paid, with no medical evidence required. We check this on every file first.

A denial is a grade on the evidence packet, not a verdict on you. Within one year you can file a Supplemental Claim with new evidence and keep your original effective date — all back pay preserved. The right response depends on why it was denied: VA error with existing evidence → Higher-Level Review (free); missing medical opinion → a stronger one, built properly. Appeal support is included in our fee.

No — and be wary of anyone who says they will. You file it, from your own VA.gov account, with your case manager on the phone telling you exactly where to click. It keeps the claim legally yours and keeps you in control of your own benefits.

Never. One flat fee, and every dollar the VA awards you — back pay and monthly — is yours. Companies that take a cut of your increase are the reason this industry has a bad name.

No, and we say so before you pay. We are a claim-preparation company: we build the file, you file it. We do not represent you before the VA. Free claims assistance is available from VA-accredited organizations — VFW, DAV, American Legion, county VSOs — and we'll point you to them if that's the better fit for you.

No — never lie to the VA; false statements are a federal crime. But most veterans do the opposite: they say "I'm fine" out of habit and get rated for fine. The honest description of your worst days is what the rating schedule actually asks for. That's what we prepare you to give.

Averages run several months from filing, and nobody — including us — can speed the VA up. What we control is the front end: your Intent to File locks your effective date immediately, so the wait costs you nothing in back pay.

The Compensation & Pension exam is where the VA's examiner measures your condition — and it often decides the rating. A strong file with a bad exam still comes back low. That's why exam prep is a core deliverable: what they'll measure, what they'll ask, and how to answer honestly instead of reflexively minimizing.

A 0% grant means the VA agreed your condition is service-connected — the hardest fight is already won, and the rating can be increased later with evidence of severity. It also doesn't count as a win under our guarantee: if the VA connects a condition but pays you nothing more, your money-back guarantee still applies.

Ratings gain protection over time: after 5 years the VA needs sustained improvement to reduce, at 10 years service connection itself is protected, at 20 years the rating can't drop below its lowest point held. Filing for an increase is a right — done honestly, it doesn't put a properly-earned rating at risk.

Good — you should check. Vet Claim Prep LLC is registered in Illinois; payments run through Stripe (we never see your card); and our Client Agreement — every commitment we make, including the refund guarantee — is public, readable, and signable before you pay anything.