Before you decide anything, read what the letter actually says.
A VA decision letter states what was granted, what was denied, what was deferred, and the reason VA gave for each. Most of it is written in rating language. VeteranAi is self-help software you operate to put your own letter in plain English — then you decide what to do, with a free accredited VSO if you want one.
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- GrantedTinnitus — 10%
- DeniedLumbar strain — no link to service established
- DeferredSleep apnea — exam pending
Illustration only. The analyzer summarizes what VA wrote in your letter. It does not decide anything and does not recommend a path.
You generally have one year from the date on your decision letter to request a review. That’s the rule as VA publishes it — not a countdown we invented.
A denial has a stated reason. Find yours in the letter.
These are the categories VA writes in decision letters. Which one applies to you is in your own document — not something we can tell you from here.
- Reason
No service connection established
VA did not find a link between the condition and your service. The letter states what evidence it considered when it reached that conclusion.
- Reason
Evidence VA says it lacked
The letter names the records or statements VA says were not in front of it. Reading that list is how you learn what the file was missing at the time.
- Reason
No current diagnosis found
VA states it found no current diagnosis for the claimed condition. Diagnosis is a clinical question — it belongs with your own provider, not with software.
- Reason
Rating criteria not met
The condition was service-connected but evaluated at a level you didn’t expect. The letter cites the criteria used and what the rater saw in the evidence.
The letter is the summary. Your C-File is the evidence behind it. If you want to see what VA was actually looking at, that’s the file itself — hundreds or thousands of pages you already have a right to.
Read your C-File →Three lanes exist. What each one is.
We explain what each option is and what evidence it takes. Which one fits your decision is a judgment call — that’s a conversation for an accredited representative.
Supplemental Claim
A supplemental claim asks VA to look at the issue again with new and relevant evidence that was not part of the record before. VA reviews the issue afresh, including the new material.
- New evidence
- Required — evidence VA has not already seen.
- Who reviews it
- A VA claims adjudicator.
Filed by you on VA.gov, or by an accredited representative acting for you. Never by us.
Choosing between these is exactly the kind of question an accredited representative is trained and authorized to answer — and county VSOs, DAV, VFW and the American Legion do it for free.
We can help you walk in knowing what your letter says and what’s in your file. We stop there, on purpose.
Find a free accredited VSO →Understand the decision. Then take it from there.
Four things you can do yourself this week, in order, without spending four figures.
Your letter in plain English
Granted, denied, deferred — and the reason VA gave for each, without the rating vocabulary.
Decision Letter Analyzer →The record behind it
Request your own C-File and read what it contains: conditions noted, exams performed, records VA already holds.
C-File Analyzer →Your own account, your words
What a personal statement is expected to cover, and what a nexus letter needs to contain before you bring the question to your own clinician.
Statements & nexus →Sit down with a VSO
Free, accredited, and authorized to advise you on your specific decision. Bring what you’ve read. It’s a better appointment.
Free VSO directory →
Ask Six what the words mean.
Six is an AI reference tool for looking up how VA claims work — the process, the terminology, the forms, the timelines. It explains the rules. Your VSO applies them to your decision.
- What does “deferred” mean?
- What’s the difference between a supplemental claim and an HLR?
- What is the “at least as likely as not” standard?
- What counts as “new and relevant” evidence?
Six explains the rules. It doesn’t review your decision, doesn’t tell you which option to choose, and never contacts VA on your behalf.
A denial is a document. Start by reading it.
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