To request a copy of your C&P exam report, submit VA Form 20-10206 to the VA online through VA.gov, by mail to the Evidence Intake Center, or in person at a VA regional office. The VA will not hand you the report at the exam and will not let you request it from the examiner directly. Most requests are answered within 20 working days.
Use VA Form 20-10206, Not the Health Records Form
VA Form 20-10206 is the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act request form, and it is the form the VA specifically points veterans to for C&P exam reports.1Veterans Affairs. VA Claim Exam (C&P Exam) The same form works for your full claims file, your DD214, military treatment records, and other compensation and pension documents.2Veterans Affairs. Request Personal Records
A common wrong turn is VA Form 10-5345a. That one is for requesting your health information from a VA medical facility, like treatment notes from a VA hospital or clinic.3Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 10-5345a If your C&P exam was done by a VA contractor such as VES, QTC, or LHI, the report may not sit with your VA health facility records at all. It goes into your claims file, and Form 20-10206 is the one that reaches the right office.
Three Ways to Submit the Form
Online Through VA.gov
The fastest route is the online tool on the VA’s personal records request page at VA.gov.4Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 20-10206 Sign in with Login.gov or ID.me. The online version walks you through each field, so you are less likely to leave something blank that causes a delay.
By Mail
Download and print the PDF version of VA Form 20-10206, fill it out, and mail it to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Evidence Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-44441Veterans Affairs. VA Claim Exam (C&P Exam)
In Person
Bring your completed form to your nearest VA regional office with a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license or Veterans Health Identification Card.
If you would rather upload a scanned form than mail one, the VA’s QuickSubmit tool through AccessVA sends documents directly to the Evidence Intake Center. Sign in with Login.gov, ID.me, DS Logon, or several other credentials. The tool accepts files up to 200 MB per document.5VA News. QuickSubmit Is the New Evidence Intake Tool for VA Claims
Information to Have Ready
Before you start, gather your full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current mailing address. If you have a VA file number that differs from your Social Security number, include that as well.
Being specific about the exam speeds things up. Note the approximate date, the condition that was examined, and whether the exam was at a VA facility or with a contractor. If you cannot remember exact dates, give your best estimate of the month and year. The more detail you provide, the less likely the VA will circle back for clarification.
Why Your VA.gov Medical Records May Not Show the Report
As of June 2025, the My HealtheVet portal moved into VA.gov.6My HealtheVet. My HealtheVet Is Moving on June 4, 2025 You can sign in at VA.gov, go to the medical records section, and use the Blue Button feature to generate a downloadable report of your VA health records for any date range.
Here is the catch. Blue Button pulls records from VA health facilities. If your C&P exam happened at a VA medical center, the report may appear there. If a private contractor performed the exam, it usually will not, because the report went straight into your claims file. Not finding your exam in Blue Button does not mean the VA is missing the report. It means you need Form 20-10206 to get it.
How Long the VA Takes to Respond
Federal law generally requires the VA to answer a FOIA or Privacy Act request within 20 working days, with a possible 10-day extension for unusual circumstances such as records stored at a different facility or requests involving a large volume of documents.7Department of Veterans Affairs. FOIA Frequently Asked Questions
A health records request submitted on VA Form 10-5345a runs on a different clock. Records held electronically may take up to 30 calendar days, and paper records created before 1998 can take up to 60 calendar days.8U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. How to Get Your Medical Records From Your VA Health Facility
If you have not heard anything within 20 calendar days of submitting your request, call MyVA411 at 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711) to check the status.8U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. How to Get Your Medical Records From Your VA Health Facility
Requesting Your Full Claims File Instead
If you want more than the single exam report, the same VA Form 20-10206 will get you your entire claims file, known as the C-file.2Veterans Affairs. Request Personal Records The C-file contains every C&P exam report, rating decisions, service treatment records, correspondence, and any evidence you or the VA submitted.
A full C-file request takes longer than a single exam report because the file can run hundreds or thousands of pages. If you are preparing an appeal or working with a veterans service organization or attorney, the complete file gives you the same picture the rater had when deciding your claim.
What to Do If the Report Contains Errors
Read the report carefully against your memory of the exam and your medical records. Common problems include symptoms recorded incorrectly, conditions you described but the examiner did not note, opinions built on wrong facts from your service record, and conclusions offered with no supporting reasoning.
Under 38 USC 5103A, the VA has a duty to provide an adequate medical examination when one is needed to decide your claim.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 5103A – Duty to Assist Claimants If an exam was inadequate, the VA is supposed to order a new one, but in practice the VA rarely catches its own errors. You usually need to flag them yourself. A few options:
- Submit a rebuttal statement. Write out every factual error or omission, pointing to specific medical or service records that contradict what the examiner wrote, and file it as a Statement in Support of Claim with your appeal or supplemental claim.
- Get a private medical opinion. A nexus letter from your own doctor that directly addresses and counters the examiner’s rationale can carry significant weight.
- File a Supplemental Claim. This lets you submit new and relevant evidence, including your rebuttal and any private medical opinion, for a fresh review.10Veterans Affairs. Supplemental Claims
- Request a Higher-Level Review. A senior reviewer looks at the same evidence for legal or factual mistakes. You cannot submit new evidence with this option.11Veterans Affairs. Higher-Level Reviews
- Appeal to the Board. A Veterans Law Judge reviews your case. This takes longer but allows testimony and, depending on the docket you choose, additional evidence.
For a genuinely bad exam, a Supplemental Claim paired with a strong private medical opinion that dismantles the examiner’s reasoning is usually the most effective approach. A Higher-Level Review fits better when the exam itself was sound but the rater misread or ignored what the examiner actually wrote.