Step 1 of the IMO Process
Not sure you're ready for a full opinion? Start with a records review.
For a fixed $199, a physician-led team reviews the records you submit, helps get your documentation in order, and tells you where your evidence actually stands. It is the first step of a full Independent Medical Opinion, and what you pay is credited toward the full opinion if you move forward.
You will be redirected to our encrypted intake system. No outcome is guaranteed.
Where This Fits
Your $199 covers step 1, credited toward the rest
A full Independent Medical Opinion runs start to finish: we organize your records, match your case to the right board-certified physician, and deliver a structured written opinion. Some veterans are ready for all of that today. Others want to know where they stand first. The records review lets you begin with step one at a fixed price, credited toward the full opinion if you continue.
- 1 Records Review & Organization This step. We review and organize your documentation and tell you where your evidence stands.
- 2 Case Validation & Specialty Match Your case is matched to a board-certified physician in the relevant specialty.
- 3 Physician Evaluation The physician independently reviews your records against clinical standards.
- 4 Nexus Opinion Written A structured, evidence-based medical opinion is authored with clear rationale.
- 5 Secure Delivery The completed opinion is delivered securely to you or your representative.
Step 1 is an optional starting point for $199, applied to your total if you continue to the full opinion. You can also begin the full opinion directly.
Is This Right for You?
A records review may be the right first step if
- You received a VA denial or an unfavorable medical opinion and want to understand why.
- You are unsure whether your records support a direct, secondary, aggravation, or §1151 theory.
- You want an independent set of eyes to identify strengths, weaknesses, and missing evidence.
- Your paperwork is scattered and you want help getting it organized before a full opinion.
- You want a lower-cost way to begin before committing to a full physician review.
You will be redirected to our encrypted intake system.
What Step 1 Includes
What we do with your records
- Review of the records you submit through secure intake
- Help organizing and compiling your documentation
- Identification of diagnoses, symptoms, and treatment history
- Identification of evidence that supports or weakens the claimed connection
- Review of prior VA decisions and C&P opinions, when provided
- Identification of missing or helpful documentation to obtain
- A recommendation on the appropriate physician specialty
- A written summary of where your evidence appears to stand
What You Receive
A concise, written records review summary
Your summary is organized so you and your representative can see clearly where things stand and what to do next. It closes with one of three plain-language assessments.
Potentially supportable
The submitted records contain documented evidence that may support obtaining a full physician opinion. This is not a guarantee of a favorable final opinion.
Not currently supportable
The submitted records contain significant contradictory evidence or do not presently document the claimed relationship.
Insufficient evidence
The available records are incomplete or missing key documentation needed to make a meaningful assessment.
What the records review does not include
To be clear about this first step, the records review is an assessment and organization step. It does not include a formal nexus opinion or VA probability language, a signed nexus letter or Independent Medical Opinion, a DBQ (Disability Benefits Questionnaire), a diagnosis or treatment, a physician-patient relationship, legal advice or claim filing, or any guarantee that a later opinion will be favorable or that the VA will grant benefits.
Compare
Records review vs. a full Independent Medical Opinion
| Feature | Records Review (Step 1) | Full Independent Medical Opinion |
|---|---|---|
| What the records review already does for you | ||
| Reviews and organizes your records | Yes | Yes |
| Identifies missing or helpful evidence | Yes | Yes |
| Gives an honest read on where your evidence stands | Yes | Yes |
| Recommends the right physician specialty | Yes | Yes |
| What only the full Independent Medical Opinion adds | ||
| A board-certified physician's written opinion | No | Yes |
| Formal nexus language ("at least as likely as not") | No | Yes |
| Clinical rationale with citations to your record | No | Yes |
| A signed opinion structured for the VA to weigh | No | Yes |
| Price & expectations | ||
| Price | $199, credited toward your full opinion | $500 to $1,500 by complexity |
| Outcome guaranteed | No | No |
The records review gets your evidence in order and tells you where you stand. The full opinion is the formal, signed physician document the VA actually weighs, and your $199 comes off its price.
Step One
$199
Applied toward your full Independent Medical Opinion if you continue
The $199 is the cost of this first step and applies toward your full opinion if you move forward. It does not buy a favorable opinion, a nexus letter, or a VA outcome, and starting here is optional. Most records reviews are completed within a few business days, and we confirm your timeline after your records are received. Every record is handled through HIPAA-compliant, encrypted intake.
Start a Records ReviewYou will be redirected to our encrypted intake system.
What is a medical records review?
It is the first step of our Independent Medical Opinion process, offered at a fixed price. Our physician-led team reviews the records you submit, helps organize your documentation, identifies what supports or weakens the claimed connection, flags missing evidence, and recommends the appropriate specialty. It is not a nexus letter or a formal Independent Medical Opinion.
How is this different from a full Independent Medical Opinion?
The records review is step one: an assessment and organization of your evidence. The full Independent Medical Opinion adds a board-certified physician's written, evidence-based opinion and nexus language. If you continue, the amount you paid for the records review is credited toward the full opinion.
Does the $199 fee count toward a full IMO?
Yes. The $199 you pay for the records review is credited toward the full Independent Medical Opinion if you choose to proceed.
Why does the full opinion cost more than the records review?
They are two different things. The records review gets your evidence in order and gives you an honest read on where you stand, for a fixed $199. A full Independent Medical Opinion is a larger deliverable: a formal opinion authored and signed by a board-certified physician, with nexus language and citations to your record, structured for the VA to weigh. That signed medical-legal document is the work the higher fee covers, and the $199 you already paid is credited toward it.
Can you guarantee the physician will support my claim?
No. The review, and any later opinion, are based only on the documented evidence and accepted medical principles. We do not guarantee a favorable opinion or any particular VA outcome.
What happens if my records do not support a nexus?
You receive an honest written assessment. It may conclude the evidence is potentially supportable, not currently supportable, or insufficient, and it explains what records, if any, could strengthen the picture. We will not pressure you to purchase anything further.
What documents should I submit?
Whatever you have: VA decision letters, C&P exam results, service treatment records, current medical records, medication lists, imaging or testing, and lay statements. Part of this step is helping you get that paperwork in order.
Will you communicate with my attorney, accredited agent, or VSO?
Yes. With your authorization, we can coordinate with your attorney, accredited agent, or Veterans Service Organization representative.
Can you review a prior denial or C&P examination?
Yes. Prior VA decisions and C&P opinions are exactly the kind of documentation this review considers when assessing where your evidence stands.
Begin with a physician-led records review
We will evaluate the documentation you provide, identify important evidence and gaps, and explain the most appropriate next step. A smaller first step toward a defensible opinion.
You will be redirected to our encrypted intake system.
Prefer to go over your case first? Email us or send a message.
This first step does not include a nexus letter or a formal Independent Medical Opinion. No physician-patient relationship is established, and no outcome is guaranteed.