PREPARING FOR YOUR EXAM

Comp & Pen Exams are a valuable piece of medical evidence in your case. The VA will ordered a Comp & Pen Exam to provide a medical nexus, or link, between your current condition and your military service. The examiner will also evaluate your symptoms so the VA can properly rate your condition. Without a positive nexus linking your current symptoms to your military service, your claim will be denied.

Your Comp & Pen Exam is your opportunity to tell the VA why your condition is related to your military service. Getting ready for your Comp & Pen Exam can seem overwhelming, so we put together a few tips to keep in mind when preparing for your upcoming exam:

Attending Your Exam

You will receive a letter or a phone call from a third-party contracted company that the VA uses for these exams (LHI, QTC, or VES).

It is extremely important that you attend your Comp & Pen Exam or reschedule your exam if necessary. The VA will rely heavily on the results of your exam to grant or deny your claim. It is extremely important that you contact the facility to reschedule your exam if you cannot make it to your appointment. If you do not attend your Comp & Pen appointment, the VA will deny your claim, and without good cause for missing your exam, you may not be able to pursue this claim in the future.

Transportation Help

If you are scheduled for an exam, please arrive early (if in-person). If for any reason you are unable to attend your appointment, it is very important that you call the contracted company directly as soon as possible to let them know and to reschedule.

If you cannot attend the exam or if your exam is scheduled far away and you have no way to get there, contact your OSDRI representative or call us at (401) 383-4730 so we can set you up with an uber to and from your exam if necessary.

Talk about what happened in service

Talk about what happened in service that you believe caused or aggravated your current condition. Try to be as specific as possible. If you are not comfortable discussing the details of an in-service event, you may point to statements you submitted to the VA previously for the examiner to reference. Bring a copy of your statements with you to the exam to reference.

Trace Your Symptoms Over Time

Make sure to discuss what symptoms you experienced immediately following the in-service event/injury and how they have worsened or evolved over time from service through the present. It is important that the examiner can trace the start of your symptoms back to the claimed in-service event/injury.

Be Honest

Be honest when describing the frequency and severity of your symptoms and how they impact your day-to-day life to the examiner. Do not downplay your symptoms!

The examiner will closely monitor your movements and behavior, including your body language and the tone of your voice, and they may perform a limited physical exam to evaluate your condition.

Ask Questions

Do not answer a question you do not understand. Instead, ask the examiner to explain what they mean if necessary. Do not talk to fill the space or time.

Disclose Medications

If you are prescribed any medications for your condition, be sure to tell the examiner the name and dose of each medication and how often you take each. This is extremely important, because medication may mask some of your symptoms, or the use of medications may be used to evaluate the severity of your condition and how much it impacts your ability to work.

Stop as Soon as it Hurts!

While the exam is not meant to be painful, you may experience slight discomfort depending on the required testing. When testing your range of motion, be sure to tell the examiner as soon as you begin to experience pain, as this contributes to your overall functional loss.

These quick overview videos discuss the basics of what you need to know and what to expect at your Comp & Pen Exam:

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Dental or Oral Conditions Exam

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Diabetes or Thyroid Conditions

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Digestive Exam

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Female Reproductive Exam

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AFTER YOUR EXAM

After your exam, make sure you complete a Post Comp & Pen Exam Exit Survey about your experience. This may be extremely useful if the exam is inadequate and we need to appeal in the future!

Are you in crisis or concerned about a loved one?

The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7:

Just dial 988 or text 838255 for support or click the link below to visit www.veteranscrisisline.net for more information.