Title 38, Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-102
§5125 Acceptance of Reports of Private Physician Examinations
Title 38 › PART IV — GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › CHAPTER 51 — CLAIMS, EFFECTIVE DATES, AND PAYMENTS › SUBCHAPTER III — PAYMENT OF BENEFITS › § 5125
Summary
A person claiming benefits under chapter 11 or 15 can give a private doctor's medical exam report to support their claim. If that report has enough information for the VA to decide the claim, the VA can accept it without making the person get another exam from a doctor who works for the Veterans Health Administration.
Full Legal Text
Title 38, §5125
Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
For purposes of establishing any claim for benefits under chapter 11 or 15 of this title, a report of a medical examination administered by a private physician that is provided by a claimant in support of a claim for benefits under that chapter may be accepted without a requirement for confirmation by an examination by a physician employed by the Veterans Health Administration if the report is sufficiently complete to be adequate for the purpose of adjudicating such claim.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 5125
Title 38, Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102