With a DBQ form, your regular doctor who knows you and your medical history can now provide the VA with a truthful account of your medical concerns. This change means you can see the doctor you know and trust to rate and record your disability instead of traveling to see a VA-approved physician.
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In this article about VA disability DBQ forms:
It used to be that veterans dealing with the stress and challenges of their health condition had to explain their condition to and be examined by doctors they’d never seen before. In addition to that, they had to travel to the nearest VA-approved doctor, which may not have been near where they lived. But this process changed for the better. Now the VA’s DBQ forms enable you to get the support you need for your VA disability claims through a doctor of your choice.
What is a DBQ?
Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) are forms the VA created to help guide doctors during examinations of veterans. The information collected helps ensure that a doctor accurately records the veteran’s condition. The VA then uses the information on the form to evaluate the veteran’s condition. If the VA grants service connection, it will use the symptoms and impairments on the DBQ to determine a disability rating.
The VA approved the open use of DBQs in 2021. Before that, only VA or VA-contracted physicians could complete the form. This civilian use means you can now have a doctor of your choice complete the DBQ. It’s a helpful change, especially for veterans who don’t live nearby a VA center or are more comfortable with their regular physician. It also helps veterans who live overseas.
Additionally, veterans commonly felt being forced to see a VA-approved physician for the examination was unfair. They thought their primary care physician or a doctor giving them ongoing treatment knew more about their medical issues. They also trusted their existing doctor or a doctor of their choice to represent them, not the VA, and so they felt more comfortable disclosing medical information to their usual providers.
How veterans use DBQs for VA disability claims
A physician uses a DBQ form to record your disability during an examination. You then use the form to support your disability claim to the VA. They also can use it to document changes in your disability if the VA requires follow-up examinations. The VA then uses the form as it determines the outcome of your claim, which may include your VA disability rating and your VA compensation amount.
The DBQ typically includes sections for the physician to discuss:
- Your symptoms
- A diagnosis of the condition
- Medications you’ve used or are using to treat the condition
- A description of the condition’s impact on your overall health and ability to function normally in your life
A physician can complete one of about 70 specific DBQ forms, depending on your symptoms and diagnosis.
You want the exam to be as accurate and thorough as possible, representing the full extent of your disabilities to be considered.
Who can fill out a VA DBQ?
Any doctor, including your primary care physician, can fill out a DBQ. If it is an area of specialty, such as cancer or mental health, the DBQ should be completed by a physician who is qualified in that area.
Your primary care physician likely knows your condition best and has complete knowledge of your health background. You also probably trust them more and feel most comfortable with them. The VA accepts your doctor’s expertise and authorizes them to provide fair and reasonable evidence. But there is one potentially important factor to consider. The VA won’t reimburse you for any expenses related to the exam or completing the DBQ form if you go through your private doctor.
Regardless of which type of doctor you see for your initial appointment, be sure to take copies of the DBQ forms you think you need with you to the appointment. Also, ensure that they complete the official DBQ form for your condition. A doctor’s patient notes aren’t enough for the VA to process your claim. Also, it’s a good idea for you to keep a copy of your DBQ so you have it on hand. In fact, always submit copies – not original documents– to the VA.
Even if your doctor completes the DBQ form, the VA still may require you to complete a compensation and pension (C&P) exam as part of your claims process. Whether you must complete the exam depends on your condition. Doctors who complete these exams are either in-house or contracted by the VA, which typically arranges for doctors who are qualified to assess your claimed condition. There can be a long wait for C&P exams through the VA, with some conditions taking up to 2 years for reporting.
If you must have a C&P exam, you may take your medical records with you. Helpful information includes:
- Patient history. A document outlining any conditions you would like the doctor to examine, including symptoms, previous examinations, and treatments to date.
- Medical reports. Copies of any reports from doctor’s visits or previous tests related to the condition they’re seeing you for.
- Documentation. Personal documentation of any ongoing symptoms or events related to the health condition, including dated frequency of happening, if you have it.
This information hopefully speeds up the benefits process.
If you refuse to attend a C&P exam or subsequent exams, the VA could delay the processing of your claim or deny your claim outright, so it’s essential to complete the process.
The VA DBQ list
Depending on your symptoms and diagnosis, a physician can choose one of about 70 specific DBQ forms. If physicians can’t find a DBQ that seems suitable for your needs, they can use the form they think is most relevant. But they must complete every field to show the VA the complete picture of your medical condition, and they must sign the form. Incomplete information can delay your claim.
The following is an alphabetized list of links that will take you directly to the VA website so you can download the corresponding VA form for the listed condition and take it to your physician.
To find a DBQ for a specific condition, click on the arrow next to the corresponding letters to expand the section and see a list of conditions. For example, if you have a knee injury, scroll to the J-K-L section and click on the arrow to expand the menu. Next click on the “Knee and Lower Leg DBQ” link to open that specific form.
A-B-C
| ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) DBQ |
| Amputations DBQ |
| Ankle DBQ |
| Artery and Vein Conditions DBQ |
| Arthritis DBQ |
| Autoimmune diseases DBQ includes Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) |
| Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) DBQ |
| Bones and Other Skeletal Conditions DBQ |
| Breast DBQ |
| Carpal tunel – see Wrist DBQ |
| Central Nervous System and Neuromuscular Diseases DBQ |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome DBQ |
| Cranial Nerve Conditions DBQ |
| Crohn’s Disease – see Intestinal (Infectious) DBQ also includes irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis |
G-H-I
| Gallbladder & Pancreas DBQ |
| Gynecological Conditions DBQ |
| Hand and Finger DBQ |
| Headaches (including Migraines) DBQ |
| Heart Conditions DBQ |
| Hematologic and Lymphatic Conditions, Including Leukemia DBQ |
| Hernias DBQ |
| Hip and Thigh DBQ |
| HIV-Related Illnesses DBQ |
| Hypertension DBQ |
| Infectious Diseases DBQ (other than HIV-related illness chronic fatigue syndrome and tuberculosis) |
| Intestinal (Infectious) DBQ includes irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, and ulcerative colitis |
| Intestinal (other than surgical or infectious) DBQ |
| Intestinal (surgical) DBQ |
| Irritable bowel syndrome – see Intestinal (Infectious) DBQ also includes Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis |
M-N-O-P
| Male Reproductive Organ Conditions DBQ includes prostate cancer |
| Mental Disorders DBQ |
| Multiple Sclerosis (MS) DBQ |
| Muscle Injuries DBQ |
| Narcolepsy DBQ |
| Neck (Cervical Spine) DBQ |
| Nutritional Deficiencies DBQ |
| Oral and Dental DBQ |
| Osteomyelitis DBQ |
| Parkinson’s Disease DBQ |
| Peripheral Nerves DBQ |
| Peritoneal Adhesions DBQ |
| Persian Gulf/Afghanistan Infectious Diseases DBQ includes Brucellosis, Campylobacter jejuni, Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), Nontyphoid salmonella, and Shigella |
| Prostate Cancer DBQ |
| Psoriatic arthritis DBQ |
| PTSD DBQ |
Q-R-S
T-U-V-W
| Temporomandibular Disorders DBQ |
| Thyroid and Parathyroid DBQ |
| Tuberculosis DBQ |
| Ulcerative colitis – see Intestinal (Infectious) DBQ also includes irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s Disease |
| Urinary Tract Conditions DBQ |
| Wrist DBQ includes arthritis, carpal tunnel, sprains, and other wrist injuries |
X-Y-Z
no conditions
Remember that your doctor can complete the form most related to your medical condition, if they don’t see a DBQ for your exact condition. They just need to complete it as fully and in as much detail as possible.
Woods and Woods can help
If you experience a medical condition that you think connects to your military service, either on its own or secondarily, you deserve VA disability compensation. Contact Woods and Woods to file an initial claim or appeal a rating decision. You only pay us if we win.
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) are forms the VA created to help guide doctors during examinations for veterans seeking disability benefits. The information collected helps to ensure that the patient’s condition is accurately recorded. The VA then uses the information on the form as it determines whether to rate the veteran’s disability and at what level.
Any doctor, including your primary care physician, can fill out a DBQ. If a condition requires a specialist, such as cancer, the DBQ should be completed by a physician who is qualified in that area.
