What it is
- What you’re submitting: new and relevant evidence that wasn’t part of the original decision — medical records, a private DBQ, a nexus letter, buddy statements, lay statements about symptoms, or notice that a liberalizing law (like the PACT Act) now applies to you.
- Who reviews: the regional office — not a senior reviewer like HLR. Standard adjudicator.
- Duty to assist applies. If you list a private provider or other evidence sources on the form, the VA must help obtain them — including ordering a new C&P exam where the evidence warrants it. 38 CFR § 3.159.
- Form: VA Form 20-0995. File online at va.gov/decision-reviews/supplemental-claim, by mail, or with a VSO.
- Standard timeline: VA target ~125 days (4–5 months). Real-world averages drift longer when new C&P exams are ordered.
When to use it
- You have new medical records — from VA, private providers, or imaging that wasn’t in the file at the original decision.
- You have a private DBQ or independent medical opinion addressing nexus, severity, or a secondary connection.
- You have a buddy statement, lay statement from a spouse/co-worker, or your own statement that adds facts the original decision didn’t consider.
- A liberalizing law was passed that now covers you (PACT Act burn pit presumption, Camp Lejeune, new Agent Orange addition).
- Your condition has worsened and the new severity evidence wasn’t before the rater.
“New and relevant” — what actually counts
38 CFR § 3.2501 sets a lower threshold than the old “new and material” standard. But both words have to apply:
Wasn’t part of the evidence the VA considered when it issued the original decision. A document already in your claim file is not new, even if you re-submit it.
Tends to prove or disprove a fact necessary to your claim — service connection, severity tier, secondary linkage, effective date, etc.
The 1-year rule
File the Supplemental within 1 year of the decision letter and your original effective date is preserved. File later and the effective date becomes the date the Supplemental was filed — potentially years of back pay lost.
38 CFR § 3.2500(h). The clock runs from the date on the decision letter, not the date you received it. Track it.
Filing after 1 year is sometimes called a “late” Supplemental — it’s technically a new claim for the same condition. The VA will still adjudicate it, but the effective-date math is much worse.
Common mistakes — and what to do instead
If your “new” evidence is the same records already in the file, you’ll get denied for not meeting the new-and-relevant threshold. File Higher-Level Review instead — that’s the lane for “the existing evidence supports a grant; the VA misapplied it.”
A second lay statement repeating what the first already said, or medical records that mirror what’s already on file, won’t clear the relevance bar. Before filing, ask: does this evidence prove or disprove a fact the original decision was wrong about?
The 1-year clock is brutal. File on time with what you have. You can continue submitting evidence after filing — the VA must consider anything you add during the review window. Don’t miss the deadline trying to assemble a perfect package.
The duty to assist only kicks in for sources you identify. If you want the VA to obtain private treatment records or order a new C&P, list those providers and facilities on the 20-0995. Don’t leave section 11 blank.
What happens after filing
- The regional office acknowledges receipt and begins development.
- If you listed private medical sources, the VA sends records requests.
- If a new C&P exam is warranted by the new evidence, you’ll be scheduled. Do not miss the C&P — no-shows are heavily penalized. Reschedule through VES/QTC or VA directly.
- You receive a new decision. Three possible results: granted, partial grant, or continued denial. Each starts a new 1-year clock for the next lane.
CFR & statute references
- 38 CFR § 3.2501 — Supplemental Claims
- 38 CFR § 3.2500 — Review of decisions
- 38 CFR § 3.159 — Duty to assist
- 38 CFR § 3.400 — Effective dates