What a C&P exam notice means
A Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam notice tells you VA needs a medical exam to help decide your claim. The examiner does not decide the claim — they complete a questionnaire a rater later uses.
Many of these exams are scheduled by VA contractors rather than VA itself, so a letter from a company you don't recognize about a VA exam is normal. The notice states who is scheduling and how to confirm or reschedule.
What to look for on this letter
- Who is scheduling — VA or a contractor such as QTC, Optum Serve/LHI, or VES — and the contact to confirm or reschedule.
- The date, time, and location, and which claimed conditions the exam covers per the notice.
- The reschedule instructions — use them before the exam date if you can't make it.
- The stated consequences of missing the exam without good cause.
The rules behind it, with sources
These are the sourced rules ServiceRecord uses when it reads this kind of letter. Deadlines are described as the regulations structure them — your own letter's printed dates always control.
C&P exam notices: what they are and what the notice controls
A Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is ordered when VA needs medical evidence to decide a claim — to confirm a diagnosis, assess severity against rating criteria, or address the link to service. The examiner does not decide the claim; they complete a questionnaire (often a DBQ) a rater later uses.
38 U.S.C. § 5103A(d) (duty to assist — examinations); 38 CFR § 3.159(c)(4)
Many C&P exams are scheduled by VA contractors (e.g. LHI/Optum Serve, QTC, VES) rather than VA itself. A letter from a contractor about a VA claim exam is normal — the notice states which company is scheduling and how to confirm or reschedule.
VA Medical Disability Examination Office (MDEO) contract examination program
Missing a scheduled exam without good cause has stated consequences: for an original compensation claim, VA decides on the evidence of record; for a claim for increase or a reexamination, the claim may be denied or payments reduced. The notice letter states the reschedule contact — use it before the exam date.
Describing your symptoms accurately and completely on your worst days as well as average days is appropriate. Coaching a veteran to exaggerate or understate symptoms is not something any legitimate service provides.
General; 38 CFR § 4.1 (accurate and fully descriptive examinations)
Terms to know
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This guide is general information, not legal advice, and does not replace what your own letter says. ServiceRecord is not a law firm and not accredited representatives. For your specific situation, a VSO or accredited representative can help — for free.