NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. Informational only — explains 38 CFR Parts 3 & 4 and M21-1 in plain language. This is not legal advice. For your specific claim, consult an accredited VSO, attorney, or VA claims agent.
Subscribe to read the full system — verbatim 38 CFR, M21-1 procedure, plain-English walkthroughs, required forms. $9.99 / month
VA Claims Playbook
38 CFR · M21-1 · Plain-English Claims Strategy
Search the Playbook
Find ratings, conditions, symptoms, VA codes, forms, appeals, presumptives, and plain-English explanations.
Try: , , , , ,
Built from 38 CFR · M21-1 · Plain English

VA Claims Playbook

Because Nobody Cares More About Your Claim Than You.

What's Inside
712 diagnostic codes, every rating tier CFR verbatim regulation text M21-1 the rater's playbook English plain-language walkthrough Forms what to file and when PACT presumptives covered

When a veteran files a disability claim, a VA rater opens a 1,200-page rulebook to decide what that claim is worth. Every percentage — 10%, 30%, 70%, 100% — comes from a specific paragraph in 38 CFR. Every step the rater takes comes from the M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual. Most veterans never see either document. VA Claims Playbook puts them in one place — the regulation, the rater's playbook, and a plain-English walkthrough — for every diagnostic code in the schedule. You learn what the VA is looking for, what evidence is relevant, and which forms actually get the claim on file.

See what's inside ↓
01

Built from 38 CFR and M21-1

Verbatim regulation text and the procedural manual VA raters actually follow — sourced directly from eCFR and the M21-1 Knowledge Base, current through 2026.

02

Translated into plain English

Every diagnostic code includes a "Veteran Speak" walkthrough — what the rule is testing for, what evidence is relevant, and the forms required to put the claim on file.

03

Designed for veterans filing their own claims

Built around the questions a self-filing veteran or VSO actually asks: how do I stack ratings, what counts as a presumptive, what does my rater see when they open the file?

By Body System

38 CFR §§ 4.71a – 4.150 · 16 systems · 712 codes

Topics & FAQs

Service connection · ratings · TDIU · appeals · evidence

Presumptive Conditions & Special Schemes

38 CFR §§ 3.307 – 3.320 · PACT Act

Certain exposures and service circumstances create a legal presumption of service connection — meaning the veteran does not have to prove their condition was caused by service. These presumption schemes live in 38 CFR Part 3 and, since 2022, in the Honoring our PACT Act.

Table of Contents/

Table of Contents//

CFR: Diagnostic Code:
← Back to system
Table of Contents/Presumptives/
Presumptive Scheme

Authority:
← Back to presumptives
Table of Contents/Topics/
Topic

← Back to home
Home/Disclaimer
Legal & Educational Use

Disclaimer

Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Claims Playbook is an independent educational reference. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), or any other federal agency. All references to "VA," "M21-1," "38 CFR," and other government documents are made for educational purposes only. The VA's official website is www.va.gov.

Educational and informational only

This site explains the legal and procedural rules the VA uses when adjudicating disability claims — specifically Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual. Content here is general reference material, not legal advice and not a substitute for the judgment of an accredited representative who has reviewed your specific service records, medical evidence, and claim history.

Not legal advice

Nothing on this site creates an attorney-client, fiduciary, or representative relationship. We are not your VSO, attorney, or VA-accredited claims agent. For binding advice on your specific claim — whether to file, how to appeal a denial, what evidence to submit, or whether to accept a proposed rating — consult a VA-accredited representative. You can find one at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation.

Source authority

Verbatim regulation text on this site is sourced from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, the official, authoritative version of the CFR. M21-1 procedural content is sourced from the VA Knowledge Management Portal. We update this site continuously as regulations change. Last review: May 2026.

Veterans Crisis Line

If you are a veteran in crisis or concerned about one, dial 988 then press 1, text 838255, or chat at veteranscrisisline.net. Free, confidential, and available 24/7.

← Back to home