Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act of 2025
The Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act of 2025 would amend title 38 U.S.C. to stop the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from denying a veteran’s benefits claim solely because the veteran failed to appear for a VA-provided medical examination. Specifically, it adds a new paragraph to 38 U.S.C. 5103A(d) stating that the Secretary “may not deny such claim on the sole basis” of nonappearance for a medical exam. The bill also retools the section’s heading from “Compensation Claims” to “Claims for Benefits” and broadens the language about providing for examinations or obtaining medical opinions to cover these examinations more broadly. In short, if a veteran misses a scheduled VA medical exam, the claim cannot be denied only on that ground; other evidence or avenues would still be needed to support any denial.
Key Points
- 1New prohibition: A veteran’s claim cannot be denied solely because the veteran did not appear for a VA-provided medical examination.
- 2Scope change: The section heading shifts from “Compensation Claims” to “Claims for Benefits,” expanding the terminology to all benefits administered by VA.
- 3Clarified language: The statute would state that VA provides for medical examinations or obtains medical opinions “under” the claims process, aligning the language with the broader claim system.
- 4Practical effect: Denials based only on nonappearance would be barred; otherwise, VA may still deny a claim based on other evidence or grounds.
- 5Limitations: The bill does not dictate what happens if a veteran misses an exam and there is no other evidence; it simply prohibits denial solely on absence, leaving other adjudicative steps to be determined by existing law and VA procedures.