Disability Benefits Questionnaires

Please Note: The VA discontinued Disability Benefits Questionnaires in April 2020. The information below is preserved for reference, and the article also covers what veterans should use in place of it to support their claims today.

DBQs were forms designed to help speed up VA disability compensation and pension claims by allowing veterans to use private medical providers outside the VA system. An applicant would list their medical issues and related information, with supporting documentation used to strengthen the claim. While the forms are no longer officially provided by the VA, some options still exist for veterans who need to submit private medical evidence.

If you’re just getting started with your claim, our guide on how to apply for VA disability pay covers the full process from start to finish.

What Was the VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire?

DBQs allowed veterans to use private medical providers to submit supporting evidence for their VA claims, helping speed up processing and reduce the backlog within the VA system. There were once 70 or more DBQs covering a wide range of conditions, available electronically on the VA’s official site from 2010 until April 2020. Conditions included but were not limited to:

• Amputations
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Ankle, foot, hand, finger, and wrist conditions
• Artery and vein conditions
• Arthritis and dysbaric osteonecrosis
• Back and neck conditions
• Diabetes mellitus
• Eating disorders
• Eye conditions
• Heart conditions
• Hip, thigh, knee, and lower leg conditions
• Hypertension
• Kidney conditions
• Mental disorders
• Muscle injuries
• Peripheral nerve conditions
• Persian Gulf and Afghanistan infectious diseases
• Prostate cancer
• Shoulder and arm conditions
• Skin diseases
• Tuberculosis

DBQs were intended as a supplement to the VA exam process, not a replacement for it, and were particularly useful for veterans separating overseas who had been treated by civilian providers in foreign locations.

What Happened To The Disability Benefits Questionnaire?

The Department of Veterans Affairs official site states that the VA has discontinued the use of DBQs, saying these forms originally “were designed to assist veterans living overseas to obtain medical evidence in support of their benefit claims where limited options were available.”

Since the VA discontinued DBQs in 2020, the agency works “with contracted providers in more than 30 foreign countries to conduct disability medical examinations.”

What Should You Use Instead of a DBQ?

There are two options depending on where you are in the process.

If you have already started a DBQ with a private provider, it’s worth completing since some veteran-focused legal websites still archive these forms, and the VA’s policy of accepting them has not officially changed. Submit by fax or mail to the VA Regional Office handling your claim, or hand-deliver to a VA facility. Note that any fees charged by your private provider for completing the form are your responsibility.

If you haven’t started a DBQ, skip it entirely and follow the current VA guidance on submitting private medical evidence instead, covered in the next section.

No DBQ Required To Get Private Healthcare Evidence

The VA encourages all veterans to submit private medical records to support their claims. To do so without a DBQ, follow these steps:

• Contact your care provider and explain you need to file a VA disability claim
• Identify the conditions you need evidence for
• Complete any required release forms from your provider
• Obtain copies of your medical records to submit to the VA
• Complete and submit together: VA Form 21-4142 (Authorization to Disclose Information) and VA Form 21-4142a (General Release for Medical Provider Information)

Once submitted, the VA will attempt to obtain your records through its Private Medical Records contract. Note that records already on file with the VA don’t need to be resubmitted — but if you received post-discharge care at a military hospital or clinic, include that location, dates, and duration in your VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a. If you need federal records to support your claim, your VA rep can help gather them.

Use our VA disability calculator to estimate your combined rating and monthly compensation. Once approved, check VA disability pay dates to know exactly when to expect your first payment.