ACRONYMS & TERMS USED IN THE VA SYSTEM

Like any Government agency, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses many acronyms in the handling of claims and appeals for VA benefits. The following is a sampling of some of the acronyms that a claimant or appellant may see in various military and VA records and documents.

9 VA Form 9, Appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals

10-10EZ VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits

10-10EZR VA Form 10-10EZR, Health Benefits Renewal Form

10-10EC VA Form 10-10EC, Application for Extended Care Services

1151 Claim/FTCA The VA Medical Malpractice/Negligence/Federal Tort Claims Act offers the ability to file a claim against the government when one of its members, including an employee of the VA, behaves negligently and you suffer damages as a result.

A&A Aid and Attendance: these are funds added to your VA claim that allow you to pay for assistance with daily activities.

AAO Assistant adjudication officer

ABCMR Army Board for Correction of Military Records

ACAP Annual clothing allowance payment

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

ADHC Adult day health care

ADL Activities of daily living

ADT Active duty for training

AFB Air Force Base

AFBCMR Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records

AFHRA Air Force Historical Research Agency

AFI Air Force instruction

AFIP Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

AGG Aggravated in service

AHRC Army Human Resources Command

AL American Legion

ALJ Administrative Law Judge

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

AMA The Appeals Modernization Act governs how decisions issued on or after February 19, 2019 are appealed.

AMC Appeals Management Center

AML Acute myelogenous leukemia

AMVETS American Veterans

AO Agent Orange or adjudication officer

AOCAP Agent Orange Class Assistance Program

AOJ Agency of original jurisdiction

AOR Agent Orange Registry

APA Administrative Procedures Act

Appellee The party in an appeal who is defending the decision on appeal.  In the Veterans Court, the VA Secretary is always the Appellee.

Appellant The party in an appeal who is challenging the decision on appeal.  In the Veterans Court, the claimant seeking benefits (veteran or dependent) is always the Appellant.

ARBA Army Review Boards Agency

AVSCM Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager

AWA All Writs Act

AWOL Absent without official leave

BCD Bad conduct discharge

BCMR Board for Correction of Military Records

BCNR Board for Correction of Naval Records

BDD Benefits Delivery at Discharge

BDN Benefits Delivery Network

BHL Bilateral hearing loss

Board The Board of Veterans' Appeals or "BVA".

Branches of the Military

Branches include:

Army

Air Force

Coast Guard

Navy

Marine Corps

Space Force

BVA/”The Board” The Board of Veterans Appeals governs VA appeals and helps overturn past decisions made by the VA.

C-File The VA Claims File or your VA records.

CAAF Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

CAVC The Unites States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  The appellate court to which claimants can appeal adverse Board decisions.  Also known as the "Veterans Court."

C&P The Compensation and Pension Exam is the exam at which your disabilities are evaluated to determine the compensation you deserve.

CARES Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services

CAVC Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

CBO Chief business office

CBOC Community Based Outpatient Clinic

CCF Compound comminuted fracture

CDR Counter designation of record

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

CG Coast Guard

CGBCMR Coast Guard Board for Correction of Military Records

CHAMPUS Department of Defense Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Service

CHAMPVA Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs

CHR Consolidated health record

CIB Combat Infantryman Badge

Claim Number Each claimant is assigned a unique VA claim number that VA uses to identify that claimant for life.  Claimants should put their claim number on each document and correspondence sent to VA.

CLC VA Community Living Center (formerly VA Nursing Home Care Units)

CLL Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

CMB Combat Medical Badge

CMD Chief Medical Director

CMO Chief Medical Officer

CNHC Community nursing home care

CO VA Central Office or commanding officer

COD Character of discharge

COG Convenience of the government

COLA Cost-of-living adjustment

Compensation A monetary benefit awarded based on the degree of disability caused by a service-connected condition.

CONUS The contiguous United States

COVA Court of Veterans Appeals (Renamed Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims)

COWC Committee on Waivers and Compromises

CPI Claims Processing Improvement

CRC Community residential center

CRDP Concurrent retirement and disability pay

CRSC Combat-related special compensation

CUE Clear and unmistakable error

CURR Center for Units Records Research

CWT VA Compensated Work Therapy Program

DAV Disabled American Veterans

DBQ Disability Benefits Questionnaire, which you may need to have completed in order to determine the compensation you deserve.

DC Diagnostic Code: the code used to label your specific diagnosis, which may determine the compensation and assistance you can expect.

DD Dishonorable discharge

DD-214/DD214 These are the forms used for your formal discharge.

DDD Degenerative disc disease

DEA Dependent Education Assistance or Chapter 35 are funds set aside to help with the education of dependents of P&T disabled veterans.

Deferred When the VA is continuing to work on a claim after approving partial award

DES Disability evaluation system

DFAS Defense Finance and Accounting Services

DFR Dropped from the rolls

DIC Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for dependents and widows: compensation paid out to the surviving dependents of a service member who died in the line of duty or from a service connected condition or were 100% or IU for 10 or more years

DL Decision Letter, or the letter that explains the decision made about your claim.

DM/DM2 Diabetes Mellitus/Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, usually used to identify a disease acquired as a result of service or a condition for which you need treatment.

DMC Debt Management Center, or the place veterans and their dependents can go for debt assistance.

DMZ Demilitarized zone

DOD/DoD Department of Defense

DRB Discharge Review Board

DRO Decision Review Officer.  Usually, an experienced member of a regional office rating team who reviews a rating decision at the request of the claimant after an initial denial during an administrative review.  

DSM American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders

DSO Department service officer

DTR Deep tendon reflexes

DVA The Department of Veterans Affairs.  A technically more accurate acronym than "VA," although not as widely used.

EAD Entry on active duty

EAJA Equal Access to Justice Act

eBenefits VA online portal that allows veterans to manage their benefits and personal information.

ECA Expedited Claims Adjudication Initiative

ED Erectile dysfunction

EGC Electrocardiogram

EKG Electrocardiogram

EOB Explanation of benefits

EOD Entry on Duty or Explosive Ordinance Disposal

ETS Expiration–Term of Service/Discharge Date. This is the point at which your term of service has expired, and you are eligible to separate from the military or choose to sign a new contract.

EVR Eligibility verification report

FDC Fully Developed Claim

Federal Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  The federal appellate court to which claimants and VA can appeal Veteran Court decisions.

FOIA Freedom of Information Act

Form 9 The VA form that must be submitted after receipt of a Statement of the Case to perfect an appeal to the Board of Veterans Appeals.

FTCA Federal Tort Claims Act

GAO Government Accounting Office

GC General counsel

GPO Government Printing Office

GSW Gun shot wound

GWS Gulf war syndrome

HB Housebound

HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HISA Home improvement and structural alterations

HIV Human immunodeficiency virus

HLR Higher Level Review - An administrative review

HO Hearing officer

Housebound Specific compensation awarded to bedridden veterans or those who require special assistance.

HTN Hypertension or high blood pressure

IED Improvised explosive device

IG Inspector general

IME/IMO An independent medical exam or independent medical opinion, which you may ask for if you do not agree with the decision made by VA doctors.

INACDUTRA Inactive Duty for Training, usually used for Reserves and National Guard.

INC Incurred in service/Increase

IOM Institute of Medicine

IOP Internal operating procedures

IRIS Inquiry Routing and Information System

IU Individual unemployability

IVAP Income for VA purposes

JAG Judge Advocate General

JMR Joint motion for remand

JSRRC Joint Services Records Research Center

Legacy For all rating decisions issued prior to 2/19/2019, veterans remain in the “legacy” appeals process, or the appeals process created before the AMA.

LHI LHI is one of the 3 VA contractors used to hold C&P exams.

LOD Line of duty

LOM Limitation of motion

LCSW Licensed clinical social worker

M21-1MR Adjudication Procedures Manual Rewrite

M-1 VA Healthcare Adjudication Manual

M-21 VA Claims Adjudication Manual

MACR Missing air crew reports

MAPR Maximum annual pension rate

MDD Major Depressive Disorder, a mental disorder often suffered by veterans.

MGIB Montgomery GI Bill

MIB Marine index bureau

MOS Military occupational specialty

MPR Military personnel records

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging

MST Military Sexual Trauma

MUCMI Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illness. Some service members suffer from these disorders as a result of exposure to previously unidentified contaminants.

NA National Archives

NARA National Archives and Record Administration

NAS National Academy of Sciences

NAUS National Association for Uniformed Services

NHL Non-Hodgkins lymphoma

NMCB U.S. Navy Mobile Construction Battalion

NOA Notice of Appeal

NOD Notice of Disagreement to the BVA using VA Form 10182

NOS Not otherwise specified

NPC Naval Personnel Command

NPRC National Personnel Records Center

NRPC Naval Reserve Personnel Command

NSC Non-service-connected

NSLI National Service Life Insurance

NSO National service officer

NVLSP National Veterans Legal Services Program

OEF Operation Enduring Freedom

OGC Office of the General Counsel

OIF Operation Iraqi Freedom

OIG Office of Inspector General

OMPF Official military personnel file

OPC Outpatient clinic

OPT Outpatient treatment

OQP Office of Quality and Performance

OSA Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OTH Other than honorable

OSTRSD Other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder

P&T Permanent and total: a rating often assigned to a veteran that has a 100-percent combined disability evaluation that is permanent in nature =(i.e., no new RFE will be scheduled by VA).

PDBR Physical Disability Board of Review

PDR Physicians' Desk Reference

PEB Physical Evaluation Board

Pension A VA benefit based on financial need available to fully disabled veterans who served during a time of war.

PERMS Permanent Electronic Records Management System

PG Persian Gulf

PGW Persian Gulf War

PIES Personnel Information Exchange System

PIF Pending issue file

PMC Pension Maintenance Center

POA Power of Attorney, or the legal power granted to make decisions on behalf of another individual.

POW Prisoner-of-war

PRC Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center

Presumption A legal term meaning that no evidence of a nexus between a current medical condition and an in-service occurrence is required.  A claimant currently suffer from a "presumptive condition" only needs to establish he or she experienced the specified in-service event to be awarded service connection. 

PA Privacy Act/Physician assistant

PT Physical therapy or permanent total disability

PTE Peace time era

PTSD Posttraumatic stress disorder

PEBLO Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officer

QTC One of three VA contractors used for C&P exams.

RAD Release from active duty

RD Initial VA Rating Decision on a claim which either grants or denies an award or "continues" the claim for further development.

Rating Schedule The table of medical conditions and disabilities established by law that VA raters use to determine the degree of disability for compensation purposes.

Remand Return of a decision to the organization that made it for additional review and revision.  The Board remands rating decisions to the originating regional office.  The Veterans Court will remand Board decisions back to the Board.

RFE Routine Future Exam

RMC Records Management Center

RMO Records Management Officer

RN Registered nurse

RO/VARO The Regional Office

ROTC Reserve Officers' Training Corps

RVN Republic of Vietnam

RVSR Rating Veterans Service Representative

SBP Survivor Benefit Plan

SC Service-connected

Schedular Rating or percentage based on the 38 CFR Schedule of Ratings (VASRD)

SDRP Special Discharge Review Program

SDVI Service Disabled Veterans' Insurance

Secretary The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.  The Cabinet officer who is the administrative head of VA.

Service Connection A requirement that a claimant for VA compensation must (1) have a current medical condition; (2) identify an event or condition during military service; and (3) establish a nexus or connection between the medical condition and the in-service event or condition.  Without establishing service connection, VA will not award compensation benefits.

SF Special forces

SGLI Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance

SMC Special Monthly Compensation.  Additional compensation available to the most seriously disabled veterans for anatomical loss of limbs or loss of use of body parts, aid and attendance, and other special needs.

SMP Special monthly pension

SMR Service medical record

SN Service number

SOC Statement of the Case.  A document that VA must prepare and provide to a claimant who has submitted a timely Notice of Disagreement.  The purpose of an SOC is to identify the facts and law VA used to reach the decision(s) with which the claimant disagrees.

SPD Separation program designator

SPN Separation program number

SRD Schedule for Rating Disabilities

SSA/SSD/SSDI Social Security Administration/Social Security Disability

SSB Special separation benefits

SSDI Social Security Disability Income

SSI Supplemental Security Income

SSN Social Security Number

SSOC Supplemental Statement of the Case

STR Service treatment records

STS Soft tissue sarcoma

TAD Temporary active duty

TBI Traumatic brain injury

TCDD 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin

TDIU Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability.  A special rating that considers whether a claimant who does not meet the rating schedule requirements for 100% disability is still unable to work in a substantially gainful occupation.  A TDIU award pays benefits at the 100% scheduler rate even though the actual rating percentage is less than 100%.

TSGLI Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance

TRDL Temporary disabled retirement list

TDY Temporary duty

UA Unauthorized absence

UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice

U.S.C. United States Code

U.S.C.A. United States Code Annotated

U.S.C.S. United States Code Service

USGLI United States Government Life Insurance

USJSRRC United States Joint Service Records Research Center

VA The most commonly used acronym for the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

VACO VA Central Office

VAF VA form

VAGC VA General Counsel

VAHAC VA Health Administration Center

VALI VA Life Insurance

VAMC VA Medical Center

VAOGC VA Office of the General Counsel

VAOIG VA Office of the Inspector General

VAOPC VA outpatient clinic

VAR VA regulation

VARO VA Regional Office

VASRD VA Schedule of Ratings

VBA Veterans Benefits Administration

VCAA Veterans Claims Assistance Act

VEAP Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program

VES One of three VA contractors that holds C&P exams.

Veterans Court Another common name for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  See also CAVC.

VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars

VGLI Veterans' Group Life Insurance

VHA Veterans Health Administration

VISN Veterans Integrated Service Network

VJRA Veterans Judicial Review Act

VLJ Veterans Law Judge.  A member of the Board of Veterans' Appeals who hears appeals from claimants who disagree with a rating decision.

VMLI Veterans' Mortgage Life Insurance

VONAPP Veterans Online Application.  A VA website for electronically applying for VA benefits. 

VRC Vocational rehabilitation counseling

VSCM Veterans Service Center Manager

VSM Vietnam Service Medal

VSO Veterans service organization or Veteran Service Officer

VSR Veterans Service Representative

WRIISC War Related Illness and Injury Center