Understand
Translate decisions, examinations, medical records, and VA language into clear issues.
Veteran-first support
YOUR CLAIM. YOUR EVIDENCE. YOUR NEXT MOVE.
You do not have to figure out the VA claims process alone.
VACA helps you move from the first question to a fully developed claim packet, then keeps working with you through examinations, decisions, grants, denials, and the next review step.
Develop
Identify every supportable direct, secondary, aggravation, presumptive, TERA, and alternative path.
Build
Organize evidence, lay statements, nexus questions, examination preparation, and the submission packet.
Continue
Track progress, verify a grant, rebut a denial, protect deadlines, and choose the next action.
Discover
Look beyond the obvious condition for secondary, aggravation, exposure, rating, TDIU, effective-date, procedural, and medically plausible leads—without presenting unverified ideas as established facts.
Where should I begin?
Begin with the step that matches what you already have. VACA will identify what is missing and bring you back to the correct next step.
- New claim: start with Current conditions.
- VA decision received: start with Ask or review.
- C-file available: start with C-file / full jacket.
- Examination scheduled: start with Prepare for exams.
- Unsure what may be claimable: start with Discover possible claims.
- Already tracking claims: open Claims workspace.
STEP 2
Secure your VACA session
Your beta access code stays in this browser. VACA will never ask for your Social Security number, VA file number, claim number, home address, phone number, or date of birth.
The code stays in this browser. Never enter an admin key here.
Redact before review
Use targeted excerpts whenever possible. Clear the conversation when using a shared computer.
ASK, REVIEW, OR CONTINUE
Tell VACA what is in front of you.
You can ask a question, paste a redacted decision or medical excerpt, or use one of the focused starting prompts.
Your question or redacted excerpt
Ask VACA
Open this step to load the security check.
Press Ctrl + Enter to send. VACA develops and organizes evidence but cannot guarantee a VA outcome.
STEP 4
List every current condition before choosing a claim theory.
Include diagnosed conditions, persistent symptoms, surgeries, treatment, medications, functional limitations, and conditions that may be connected to another disability.
STEP 5
Connect the conditions to actual service facts.
VACA can work from duty history, military occupational specialty, locations, incidents, service treatment records, and credible lay evidence. An in-service diagnosis is not required for every direct-service theory.
STEP 6
Review the C-file in focused, redacted batches.
Start with the rating decision, favorable findings, evidence list, code sheet, C&P examinations, DBQs, medical opinions, STRs, and exposure-development records. A full C-file is usually too large for one request, so VACA will build a review sequence.
What VA granted, denied, deferred, and rated.
Diagnoses, findings, nexus reasoning, and defects.
Events, symptoms, duties, locations, and exposures.
Develop missing evidence and overlooked theories.
Text files are read locally in your browser. For PDF, DOCX, or image records, paste redacted OCR or selected text. VACA does not store the original file.
STEP 7
Build the exposure or injury history with enough detail to prove it.
Describe the source, frequency, duration, route, proximity, ventilation, protective equipment, and the military records that can corroborate the activity.
BROAD CLAIM DISCOVERY
Think beyond the condition already written on the claim.
This is the brainstorming and research stage. VACA may identify possible, plausible, and exploratory leads from symptoms, service duties, injuries, exposures, medications, surgeries, altered body mechanics, mental-health effects, rating rules, and procedural errors. A lead is not treated as a fact until the evidence supports it.
Established verified by controlling evidence
Strongly supported substantial support
Plausible development-worthy theory
Exploratory research lead requiring proof
UNIFIED CLAIMS WORKSPACE
Keep the full claim-development system inside the Veteran journey.
Select a workspace function below. VACA preserves the original claim tracker, selected-claim workflow, next actions, claim intelligence, broad plausibility discovery, evidence intake, lay-statement builder, packet builder, and advanced source tools.
Checking private workspace access...
The beta chat and local journey remain available while VACA checks your workspace session.
All original dashboard functions are preserved.Sign in when private workspace access is available, or use the legacy link to view the complete original workspace.
Why keep a legacy dashboard?
The unified journey is the recommended Veteran-facing interface. The legacy dashboard remains available so no prior workflow, development idea, source tool, or owner diagnostic is lost while the unified experience continues to improve.
STEP 8
Turn the facts into a complete claim strategy.
VACA should identify the strongest route first, preserve every other supportable route, classify the evidence, expose weaknesses, and convert every gap into a development task.
STEP 9
Prepare before the examiner sees the claim.
VACA will identify what must already be in the file, what facts to explain accurately, what legal and medical questions the examiner must answer, and how to challenge an inadequate report.
STEP 10
Assemble a packet that is easy to understand and hard to ignore.
Keep the submission focused: claim theory, chronology, favorable evidence, exposure or event proof, medical support, lay evidence, nexus question, rating evidence, and a direct response to every prior denial reason.
STEP 11
Keep each claim moving.
This lightweight tracker stays only in this browser. Use it to record the current stage, the next action, and a target date. Do not enter claim numbers or personal identifiers.
STEP 12
A decision is not the end of the work.
After a grant, verify the condition, percentage, diagnostic code, effective date, secondary issues, deferred issues, and TDIU. After a denial, preserve favorable findings, identify the exact defect, obtain missing evidence, and choose the correct next review lane.
Verify the full award
- Correct condition and theory
- Correct rating and diagnostic code
- Correct effective date
- Secondary and deferred issues
- Future-exam or reduction risk
Build the rebuttal
- Preserve favorable findings
- Identify the precise denial element
- Challenge inadequate opinions
- Develop new and relevant evidence
- Select Supplemental, HLR, Board, or Court path