This tool provides estimates for educational purposes only. We are not accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs and do not file claims, provide legal advice, or represent veterans before the VA (38 U.S.C. § 5904). For official assistance, contact a VSO, CVSO, or VA-accredited attorney.
The Appeals Modernization Act created three review lanes for VA decisions. This page lays them out side by side. If your situation is more nuanced, the Appeal Path Selector asks five questions and ranks the lanes for you.
| Question | HLR | Supplemental | BVA Direct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who reviews it? | A senior reviewer at your regional office | A reviewer at your regional office (different from the original) | A Veterans Law Judge at the Board |
| Can you submit new evidence? | No | Yes | No |
| Hearing available? | No on this docket | No on this docket | No on this docket |
| VA target time | ~125 days | ~125 days | ~365 days |
| Recent median time | ~4 months | ~4 months | ~43 months |
| Preserves earlier effective date? | Yes (if filed within one year) | Yes (if filed within one year) | Not on this lane |
| Required form | VA Form 20-0996 | VA Form 20-0995 | VA Form 10182 (Notice of Disagreement) |
| Best for | Veterans who believe the VA misapplied the law, overlooked existing evidence, or made a clear factual error in the original decision. | Veterans who have new medical evidence, a nexus letter, or buddy statements that were not part of the original decision. | Veterans who want a Board decision based on the existing record and do not have new evidence or need a hearing. |
| Main caution | You cannot submit new evidence with this review. | If filed more than one year after the decision, you may lose your original effective date. | Wait times may be significantly longer than supplemental claims or higher-level reviews. |
Request a senior reviewer to re-examine existing evidence for clear and unmistakable error.
Best for: Veterans who believe the VA misapplied the law, overlooked existing evidence, or made a clear factual error in the original decision.
Caution: You cannot submit new evidence with this review.
File new and relevant evidence to have your claim re-reviewed by a regional office.
Best for: Veterans who have new medical evidence, a nexus letter, or buddy statements that were not part of the original decision.
Caution: If filed more than one year after the decision, you may lose your original effective date.
Appeal directly to the Board with no new evidence and no hearing.
Best for: Veterans who want a Board decision based on the existing record and do not have new evidence or need a hearing.
Caution: Wait times may be significantly longer than supplemental claims or higher-level reviews.
The Board has two more dockets beyond direct review: an evidence submission docket (you have 90 days to add evidence) and a hearing docket (testimony before a Veterans Law Judge). After a Board decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) is the next venue for legal-error appeals. The fullAppeal Path Selector covers all six options.
Educational only. Veterans Benefits Navigator is not VA-accredited and does not file claims or provide legal advice (38 U.S.C. § 5904).