Veterans Affairs Transfer of Information and Sharing of Disability Examination Procedures With DOD Doctors Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Veterans Affairs Transfer of Information and Sharing of Disability Examination Procedures With DOD Doctors Act tries to make military separation exams usable for VA disability benefits. It amends title 10 so when a separating member of the Armed Forces has, or is believed to have, a condition that may make the member eligible for VA disability compensation and benefits, the required DOD physical examination must be performed by a health care provider certified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to determine eligibility. If the condition is discovered during an exam by a non-certified provider, the exam must be completed by a VA-certified provider. The resulting eligibility determination is binding on VA and must be used as the basis for assigning a disability rating. The bill also requires the VA and DOD Secretaries to jointly establish a system used by both departments to maintain medical and personnel records for servicemembers and veterans and to provide data sharing between DOD and VA.
Who Benefits and How
Separating servicemembers with medical conditions benefit because one comprehensive exam can support VA disability eligibility and rating decisions. Veterans filing disability claims benefit because VA must treat the qualifying separation-exam determination as binding. VA-certified disability examiners benefit from a formal role in DOD separation physicals for likely compensable conditions. VA claims processors benefit from shared DOD-VA records and a binding eligibility determination.
Who Bears the Burden and How
DOD health providers must route qualifying separation exams to VA-certified providers or complete exams through those providers when conditions are discovered. Department of Veterans Affairs rating staff must use the DOD separation-exam determination as the basis for disability ratings. DOD medical records offices must build or join a shared VA-DOD recordkeeping and data-sharing system. VA information technology staff must maintain shared medical and personnel records for servicemembers and veterans.
Key Provisions
- Requires VA-certified providers to perform separation physicals when a condition may qualify for VA disability benefits.
- Requires non-certified examiners to complete qualifying exams through a VA-certified provider when a condition is discovered.
- Makes the eligibility determination binding on VA and the basis for assigning a disability rating.
- Requires DOD and VA to jointly establish a shared medical and personnel recordkeeping system with data sharing.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires separating servicemembers with possible VA-compensable conditions to receive a single comprehensive disability examination from a VA-certified provider, makes that eligibility determination binding on VA for disability ratings, and requires DOD and VA to establish a shared medical and personnel recordkeeping system.
Key Policy Areas
Veterans, Defense Health, Disability Benefits
Primary Purpose
Requires separating servicemembers with possible VA-compensable conditions to receive a single comprehensive disability examination from a VA-certified provider, makes that eligibility determination binding on VA for disability ratings, and requires DOD and VA to establish a shared medical and personnel recordkeeping system.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Separating servicemembers with medical conditions
- Veterans filing disability claims
- VA-certified disability examiners
- VA claims processors
Identified Costs
- DOD health providers
- Department of Veterans Affairs rating staff
- DOD medical records offices
- VA information technology staff
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Mr. Wittman introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition …
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Department of Veterans Affairs rating staff, VA claims processors, VA information technology staff
Positive-direction: VA claims processors
Negative-direction: Department of Veterans Affairs rating staff, VA information technology staff
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology