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FIELD GUIDE

Talking to Your Doctor About a Nexus Opinion

What a nexus opinion is, when you need one, what VA looks for in it, and how to ask your own doctor without putting words in their mouth.

Written by Gabe, a VA-accredited attorney and Afghanistan infantry Veteran.

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Look inside: 18 pages

These are real pages from the PDF you download, not mockups. Select a page to read it full size.

Page 1 of Talking to Your Doctor About a Nexus Opinion: the title, "How to use this guide" (general education; the opinion belongs to the doctor, and the guide has no sample opinion, no fill-in-the-blank letter and no wording for a doctor to sign), and the start of "What 'nexus' means and where it fits". (opens the full-size page in a new tab)
Page 1 of 18
Page 5 of Talking to Your Doctor About a Nexus Opinion: the end of the "at least as likely as not" section and the start of "What makes an opinion carry weight": the reasons are explained, the facts are right, and the doctor knows the relevant records, with the court cases behind each. (opens the full-size page in a new tab)
Page 5 of 18
Page 10 of Talking to Your Doctor About a Nexus Opinion: the end of "How to ask" (hand the doctor nothing to sign), "When the doctor says no", and the start of "Questions a doctor may want answered": VA's core question for direct, secondary and aggravation claims and for a condition that existed before service, with bracketed blanks and no answers. (opens the full-size page in a new tab)
Page 10 of 18
Page 13 of Talking to Your Doctor About a Nexus Opinion: the end of "What happens after" (which review lane fits, and what to do if the doctor's opinion is not favorable) and the start of the printable checklist, "Before you ask". (opens the full-size page in a new tab)
Page 13 of 18

Contents of Talking to Your Doctor About a Nexus Opinion

Every section in the guide, with the page it starts on. 18 pages in all.

  1. How to use this guidepage 1 of 18
  2. What "nexus" means and where it fitspage 1 of 18
  3. Four ways a condition connects to servicepage 2 of 18
  4. The standard: "at least as likely as not" and the benefit of the doubtpage 4 of 18
  5. What makes an opinion carry weightpage 5 of 18
  6. VA's examiner versus your own doctorpage 6 of 18
  7. How to ask your own doctorpage 8 of 18
  8. Questions a doctor may want answeredpage 10 of 18
  9. Red flags: what to walk away frompage 11 of 18
  10. What happens afterpage 12 of 18
  11. Checklistpage 13 of 18
  12. When to get a person involvedpage 14 of 18
  13. Sourcespage 15 of 18

What it covers

  • Direct, secondary, aggravation and presumptive claims, and when no opinion is needed
  • "At least as likely as not" and the benefit of the doubt
  • What VA and the Board look for in a medical opinion
  • What to bring your doctor, and the red flags to walk away from

What this guide is

This is general education about the VA claims process, written for any Veteran. You don't upload anything to get or read it. It isn't legal advice or representation. The tools that work with your own claim, like the deadline check and the free decision check, are free.

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