What is a DBQ in VA Disability? (Disability Benefits Questionnaire Explained)

What is a DBQ in VA Disability? (Disability Benefits Questionnaire Explained)

Episode Overview

In this episode, we break down the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ)—a key tool in the VA disability claims process. Whether you’re filing a new claim, appealing a decision, or looking to increase your rating, understanding how a DBQ works can make all the difference.

What We Cover:

✅ What is a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ)?
 ✅ How DBQs impact VA disability claims and ratings
 ✅ Who can complete a DBQ, and why that matters
 ✅ Tips for using a DBQ to strengthen your claim
 ✅ Common mistakes to avoid when submitting a DBQ

Resources & Links:

📌 Official VA DBQ Forms: https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_publicdbqs.asp
 📌 Guide to Filing a VA Disability Claim: https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/
 📌 VA-accredited Representatives & Legal Assistance: https://www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/find-rep/

Connect With Us:

🎙️ Subscribe for more insights on VA disability claims!
 📩 Have questions? Email us at [e-mail]
 📱 Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/prestigeveteranmedicalconsulting

Episode Transcript

Leah Bucholz (00:04):
Guys, it's Leah Bee from Prestige Veteran
Medical Consulting. I am a U. S.Army veteran, former C and P
examiner, and a physicianassistant. So today I wanted to
come on and discuss what areDBQs in VA disability.
So if you're navigating the VAdisability claims process,
you've probably heard the termDBQ thrown around, but what
exactly is a DBQ? How does thatimpact your VA disability claim?

(00:27):
We're gonna break a lot of theseissues down, like what it is,
who can fill it out, etcetera,today in our video. So let's
just jump right in. So a DBQ isa standardized form, disability
benefit questionnaire, createdby VA, which is aimed to help
health care providers collectdata and medical evidence for
adjudicators for your disabilityclaim.

(00:49):
It allows your doctor, either aVA examiner or a private
physician, document the severityof your condition in a way that
aligns with VA rating criteria.So DBQs can be crucial for many
reasons. They provide clearmedical evidence that supports
your claim. They help speed upthe VA's decision making
process. You can have a privatedoctor complete them instead of

(01:12):
just waiting for the VA to doit.
So the VA is probably stillgoing to do one anyways, but you
can ask your doctor to do one.That way there's more than one
piece of evidence thatadjudicators can rely on to
evaluate the medical evidence ofyour claim. So who can fill them
out? So a DBQ can be completedby the VA doctor during or the

(01:32):
VA contract examiner during a Cand P exam, a private physician
or specialist. So if you'reseeing an orthopedic doctor for
your knee or even achiropractor, this is a great
way to do things if you'relooking for a second opinion or,
again, providing that additionalevidence to adjudicators.

(01:54):
Maybe you had a bad exam beforeand your private doctor is
willing to fill one of these outfor you. So how can these help
your claim? So when a DBQ iscompleted thoroughly and
accurately, it provides the VAwith structured medical
evidence, making it easier forthem to determine your rating.
So we've done a lot of videos onwhat happens in a C and P exam
in the past and broken down DBQsspecifically, you know, one by

(02:18):
one on different types ofconditions. So if you haven't
seen those, you may wanna checkthem out so you can see what
happens.
And a headache C and P exam, wego through the DBQ, right? So
these forms, disability benefitquestionnaires, include check
boxes, measurements in somecases, diagnostic criteria so
that there is sort of clearerand more detailed information.

(02:41):
Where can you get them? So we'regoing to look on va.gov here in
a second and I'm going to showyou where we can gather that
information so you can reviewit, maybe see what's going be on
your C and P exam and what kindof questions are going to be
asked and where you can maybeprint one of these off. So
again, you can download themdirectly from VA's website or
you can ask your doctor ifthey're familiar with them.

(03:02):
Not every condition has a DBQ,that's important to realize. So
there's, you know, thousands ofdifferent conditions and
diagnosis a person can have. Sosometimes these are done on
forms that are related to thatcondition. So for example, GERD
didn't used to have its own DBQ,so it was done on the esophageal
condition. More recently that'schanged and there's now a GERD

(03:24):
DBQ, so that's helpful.
But that's just an example ofhow there's not one for every
specific type of condition. So,common ones like back pain,
PTSD, sleep apnea, there arespecific forms for those. So
let's jump on over to va.gov soyou guys can get an idea of what
these look like and where youcan find them, okay? Hang on one

(03:48):
second. Okay, so here it is.
So let's remember that this isquantitative information, right?
So it helps the adjudicators,like we said, determine a rating
based on the 38 code of federalregulation, but the different
rating criteria, it aligns witha lot of these forms, okay? So

(04:08):
qualitative data, or I'd like tothink of it like a light switch,
flipping a light switch off andon. Is it disability related to
your service? Yes or no, that'ssort of the nexus or the medical
opinion that's provided.
Let's say your knee is deemed tobe related to service. Your
medical examiner says, hey, Iagree, I think this is related
to their service. The rateragrees or the adjudicator. This

(04:31):
form, this DBQ helps themdetermine what that rating is,
okay? So over here on va.gov, wehave public disability benefit
questionnaires.
It says DBQs help collectnecessary medical information
like we talked about. Treatinghealthcare provider can fill
this out. So jumping right in,the cardiovascular ones, there's

(04:57):
dental DBQs, dermatologic,endocrinology, ear, nose and
throat, GI. And you can seeunder each one of these
categories, there's a lot ofdifferent DBQs like gallbladder,
esophageal disorders, etc. Sogynecologic, musculoskeletal,

(05:17):
neurologic, and again we have alot of different videos that
show you sort of a breakdown ofeach one of these: mental
health, respiratory, etc.
So let's just jump to the ankleand pop this one open for you
guys. Hang on one second. Okay,so here's that ankle DBQ that

(05:46):
came off of va.gov. So as youcan see, you can open any of
those hyperlinks and you canfind that particular DBQ and
print it off. And it just hasinformation about your
condition.
Let me see if I can blow this upa little bit. Yeah, so you're
just gonna information about thecondition, the doctor's gonna
fill this out, they're gonna putall of your information on here

(06:09):
and just history about yourcondition. I'm not gonna go down
each and every single point onhere because we have individual
videos for these if you wannatake a look at them. I just want
you to familiarize yourself withthe fact that where you can find
these, what they're good for. Sohopefully that will be helpful
to you.
I guess that's probably about itfor DBQs, but again, are forms

(06:33):
that help not only with yourinitial rating, but if you're
going for an increase, it helpsthem determine, you know, if
they're gonna do range of motionto determine where you fit in
that rating criteria. It canhelp the adjudicators determine
that what you're, you know,where you fit in in that 38 code
of federal regulation. Are theseforms required? Okay, let me
jump off this screen share. Youdon't have to go to your own
private physician and get one ofthese.

(06:55):
Somebody asked me the other dayabout a PTSD exam on my YouTube
channel. So they were like, Hey,if I only see VA health care and
they won't fill one of these outfrom you, what do I do? Well,
your C and P examiner, if VAdetermines that there's enough
evidence to support you gettinga C and P exam, which most of
the time they do, they're gonnafill one of those out for you at
no cost to you. Okay? It mightnot be favorable.

(07:17):
You might not have a positiveoutcome with that, but they're
going to provide that for you.Okay? So I hope this was
helpful. Please drop somecomments. Again, the most
important thing is that thisform helps them to determine the
rating percentage that you mightfall into, what criteria you
might fall into, whether you're10%, 20%, 30%, or whatever, they

(07:39):
can fall back to, okay, here'sall the data points from this
DBQ and here's where it alignswith that disability rating
criteria.
I hope this was helpful. Pleasedrop some comments. Like I said,
let me know if there's any othervideos that you guys would like
to see. And as always, thank youfor watching.