Veterans · Claims
Secondary is not a paid letter.
38 CFR 3.310 already defines a disability that follows from one you have. You still file. A private nexus letter is optional evidence, not a product you must buy.
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Sign Up One Stop Shop · 2026-09-21
The regulation, not the shop
VA’s own page: you can file a secondary claim for a new disability linked to a service-connected disability you already have. That is 38 CFR 3.310. It is a rule in the book. It is not a package, a membership, or a letterhead.
You still need a current diagnosis. You still file 21-526EZ or the right review lane. Presumptive is a different path. Secondary means the new thing is connected to the old thing — sleep apnea after PTSD, radiculopathy after a back rating, that family of claims. The rater still has to see it.
A nexus letter is optional evidence
A private independent medical opinion can help when the file is thin. VA does not require you to buy one. VA does not reimburse one. If a site will not show you the form until you book a discovery call, close the tab. File on VA.gov. An accredited VSO is free help. Confirm them on the OGC list.
Read your C-file first. If the link is already in the exam, you may not need a paid letter. If the link is not in the file, a private opinion is still evidence — not a guarantee, not a product, not a cut of back pay.
How to sign up
01
Read the claim-type page
https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/when-to-file/
02
Read 38 CFR 3.310
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-3.310
03
File on VA.gov
https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/ — no fee.
Written from VA.gov claim types. Always confirm on the official page before you enroll.