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38 U.S.C. § 5109 — Independent medical opinions
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** When, in the judgment of the Secretary, expert medical opinion, in addition to that available within the Department, is warranted by the medical complexity or controversy involved in a case being considered by the Department, the Secretary may secure an advisory medical opinion from one or more independent medical experts who are not employees of the Department.
**(b)** The Secretary shall make necessary arrangements with recognized medical schools, universities, or clinics to furnish such advisory medical opinions. Any such arrangement shall provide that the actual selection of the expert or experts to give the advisory opinion in an individual case shall be made by an appropriate official of such institution.
**(c)** The Secretary shall furnish a claimant with notice that an advisory medical opinion has been requested under this section with respect to the claimant’s case and shall furnish the claimant with a copy of such opinion when it is received by the Secretary.
**(d)**
(1) The Board of Veterans’ Appeals shall remand a claim to direct the agency of original jurisdiction to obtain an advisory medical opinion from an independent medical expert under this section if the Board finds that the Veterans Benefits Administration should have exercised its discretion to obtain such an opinion.
(2) The Board’s remand instructions shall include the questions to be posed to the independent medical expert providing the advisory medical opinion.
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Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-38/section-5109-independent-medical-opinions--f59c93e68f.md
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Source location: Title 38, Chapter 51, § 5109; chapter-051-claims-effective-dates-and-payments.md
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**(a)** When, in the judgment of the Secretary, expert medical opinion, in addition to that available within the Department, is warranted by the medical complexity or controversy involved in a case being considered by the Department, the Secretary may secure an advisory medical opinion from one or more independent medical experts who are not employees of the Department.
**(b)** The Secretary shall make necessary arrangements with recognized medical schools, universities, or clinics to furnish such advisory medical opinions. Any such arrangement shall provide that the actual selection of the expert or experts to give the advisory opinion in an individual case shall be made by an appropriate official of such institution.
**(c)** The Secretary shall furnish a claimant with notice that an advisory medical opinion has been requested under this section with respect to the claimant’s case and shall furnish the claimant with a copy of such opinion when it is received by the Secretary.
**(d)**
(1) The Board of Veterans’ Appeals shall remand a claim to direct the agency of original jurisdiction to obtain an advisory medical opinion from an independent medical expert under this section if the Board finds that the Veterans Benefits Administration should have exercised its discretion to obtain such an opinion.
(2) The Board’s remand instructions shall include the questions to be posed to the independent medical expert providing the advisory medical opinion.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
There is hereby established, under Article I of the Constitution of the United States, a court of record to be known as the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 38 U.S.C. § 7251
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
For the purposes of this title—
(1) The terms “Secretary” and “Department” mean the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs, respectively.
(2) The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.
(3) The term “surviving spouse” means (except for purposes of chapter 19 of this title) a person who was the spouse of a veteran at the time of the veteran’s death, and who lived with the veteran continuously from the date of marriage to the date of the veteran’s death (except where there was a separation which was due to the misconduct of, or procured by, the veteran without the fault of the spouse) and who has not remarried.
(4)
(A) The term “child” means (except for purposes of chapter 19 of this title (other than with respect to a child who is an insurable dependent under subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 1965(10) of such chapter) and [section 8502(b) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section8502/b&num=0&edition=prelim)) a person who is unmarried and—
(i) who is under the age of eighteen years;
(ii) who, before attaining the age of eighteen years, became permanently incapable of self-support; or
(iii) who, after attaining the age of eighteen years and until completion of education or training (but not after attaining the age of twenty-three years), is pursuing a course of instruction at an approved educational institution;
and who is a legitimate child, a legally adopted child, a stepchild who is a member of a veteran’s household or was a member at the time of the veteran’s death, or an illegitimate child but, as to the alleged father, onl
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 38 U.S.C. § 101
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** In the case of a decision by the Secretary under [section 511 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section511&num=0&edition=prelim) affecting the provision of benefits to a claimant, the Secretary shall, on a timely basis, provide to the claimant (and to the claimant’s representative) notice of such decision. The notice shall include an explanation of the procedure for obtaining review of the decision.
**(b)** Each notice provided under subsection (a) shall also include all of the following:
(1) Identification of the issues adjudicated.
(2) A summary of the evidence considered by the Secretary.
(3) A summary of the applicable laws and regulations.
(4) Identification of findings favorable to the claimant.
(5) In the case of a denial, identification of elements not satisfied leading to the denial.
(6) An explanation of how to obtain or access evidence used in making the decision.
(7) If applicable, identification of the criteria that must be satisfied to grant service connection or the next higher level of compensation.
**(c)** The Secretary may provide notice under subsection (a) electronically if a claimant (or the claimant’s representative) elects to receive such notice electronically. A claimant (or the claimant’s representative) may revoke such an election at any time, by means prescribed by the Secretary.
**(d)** The Secretary shall annually—
(1) solicit recommendations from stakeholders on how to improve notice under this section; and
(2) publish such recommendations on a publicly available website of the Department.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 38 U.S.C. § 5104
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)**
(1)
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a specific claim in the form prescribed by the Secretary (or jointly with the Commissioner of Social Security, as prescribed by [section 5105 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section5105&num=0&edition=prelim)) must be filed in order for benefits to be paid or furnished to any individual under the laws administered by the Secretary.
(B)
(i) The Secretary may pay benefits under chapters 13 and 15 and sections 2303, 2307, and 5121 of this title to a survivor of a veteran who has not filed a formal claim if the Secretary determines that the record contains sufficient evidence to establish the entitlement of the survivor to such benefits.
(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph and [section 5110 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section5110&num=0&edition=prelim), the earlier of the following dates shall be treated as the date of the receipt of the survivor’s application for benefits described in clause (i):
(I) The date on which the survivor of a veteran (or the representative of such a survivor) notifies the Secretary of the death of the veteran through a death certificate or other relevant evidence that establishes entitlement to survivors’ benefits identified in clause (i).
(II) The head of any other department or agency of the Federal Government notifies the Secretary of the death of the veteran.
(iii) In notifying the Secretary of the death of a veteran as described in clause (ii)(I), the survivor (or the representative of such a survivor) may submit to the Secretary additional documents relating to such death without being required to file a formal claim.
(2) If an individual has
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 38 U.S.C. § 5101
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Duty To Assist.—**
(1) The Secretary shall make reasonable efforts to assist a claimant in obtaining evidence necessary to substantiate the claimant’s claim for a benefit under a law administered by the Secretary.
(2) The Secretary is not required to provide assistance to a claimant under this section if no reasonable possibility exists that such assistance would aid in substantiating the claim.
(3) The Secretary may defer providing assistance under this section pending the submission by the claimant of essential information missing from the claimant’s application.
**(b) Assistance in Obtaining Private Records.—**
(1) As part of the assistance provided under subsection (a), the Secretary shall make reasonable efforts to obtain relevant private records that the claimant adequately identifies to the Secretary.
(2)
(A) Whenever the Secretary, after making such reasonable efforts, is unable to obtain all of the relevant records sought, the Secretary shall notify the claimant that the Secretary is unable to obtain records with respect to the claim. Such a notification shall—
(i) identify the records the Secretary is unable to obtain;
(ii) briefly explain the efforts that the Secretary made to obtain such records; and
(iii) explain that the Secretary will decide the claim based on the evidence of record but that this section does not prohibit the submission of records at a later date if such submission is otherwise allowed.
(B) The Secretary shall make not less than two requests to a custodian of a private record in order for an effort to obtain relevant private records to be treated as reasonable under this section, unless it is made evident by the first request that a second request would be futile in obtaining such records.
(3)
(A) This
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 38 U.S.C. § 5103A
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** All files, records, reports, and other papers and documents pertaining to any claim under any of the laws administered by the Secretary and the names and addresses of present or former members of the Armed Forces, and their dependents, in the possession of the Department shall be confidential and privileged, and no disclosure thereof shall be made except as provided in this section.
**(b)** The Secretary shall make disclosure of such files, records, reports, and other papers and documents as are described in subsection (a) of this section as follows:
(1) To a claimant or duly authorized agent or representative of a claimant as to matters concerning the claimant alone when, in the judgment of the Secretary, such disclosure would not be injurious to the physical or mental health of the claimant and to an independent medical expert or experts for an advisory opinion pursuant to [section 5109 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section5109&num=0&edition=prelim).
(2) When required by process of a United States court to be produced in any suit or proceeding therein pending.
(3) When required by any department or other agency of the United States Government.
(4) In all proceedings in the nature of an inquest into the mental competency of a claimant.
(5) In any suit or other judicial proceeding when in the judgment of the Secretary such disclosure is deemed necessary and proper.
(6) In connection with any proceeding for the collection of an amount owed to the United States by virtue of a person’s participation in any benefit program administered by the Secretary when in the judgment of the Secretary such disclosure is deemed necessary and proper.
**(c)**
(1) The amount of any payment made by the Secretary to any p
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 38 U.S.C. § 5701
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 1040
TITLE 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS
§ 5108
in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall, upon the request of the claimant or on the Sec-
retary’s own motion, order the claim readjudicated
under chapter 51 of such title, as amended by this Act,
as if the denial or dismissal had not been made.
‘‘(2) A denial or dismissal described in this paragraph
is a denial or dismissal of a claim for a benefit under
the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs that—
‘‘(A) became final during the period beginning on
July 14, 1999, and ending on the date of the enactment
of this Act; and
‘‘(B) was issued by the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs or a court because the claim was not well
grounded (as that term was used in section 5107(a) of
title 38, United States Code, as in effect during that
period).
‘‘(3) A claim may not be readjudicated under this sub-
section unless a request for readjudication is filed by
the claimant, or a motion is made by the Secretary,
not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
‘‘(4) In the absence of a timely request of a claimant
under paragraph (3), nothing in this Act [see Short
Title of 2000 Amendments note set out under section 101
of this title] shall be construed as establishing a duty
on the part of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to lo-
cate and readjudicate a claim described in this sub-
section.’’
EFFECTIVE DATE
Section effective Sept. 1, 1989, see section 401(a) of
Pub. L. 100–687, set out as a note under section 7251 of
this title.
§ 5108. Supplemental claims
(a) IN GENERAL.—If new and relevant evidence
is presented or secured with respect to a supple-
mental claim, the Secretary shall readjudicate
the claim taking into consideration all of the
evidence of record.
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 38 U.S.C. § 5109
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