Review of a Veteran’s medical records will occasionally reveal the existence a. Action to Take When a spouse or that has not been added to a Veteran’s award. Upon Medical discovering such information, follow the instructions in the table below. Records Reveal the Existence of RO employees should routinely review medical records for Important: not a Dependent the purpose of identifying dependents that have not been added to a sole That Is Not on Veteran’s award. a Veteran’s Step Action 1 Is the Veteran receiving pension, or does the Veteran have a combined disability rating of at least 30 percent for SC disabilities? If proceed to the next step. yes, If proceed no further. The Veteran lacks eligibility to have a no, dependent on his /her award. 2 Send the Veteran for completion. VA Form 21-686c If the Veteran is receiving pension, also send him/her Important: one of the following forms for completion: VA Form 21-0516-1, Improved Pension Eligibility Verification or Report (Veteran With No Children), VA Form 21-0517-1, Improved Pension Eligibility Verification Report (Veteran With Children). b. Assigning an When a Veteran returns the that VA sent in accordance VA Form 21-686c Effective Date with the instructions in M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 5.A.6.a, determine Based on whether VA may recognize the individual on the form as the Veteran’s Information dependent. About Dependents If the relationship between the Veteran and the individual named on the form That VA can be established, add the individual to the Veteran’s award the of the earlier Discovers in following dates: Medical Records the first of the month following the month VA received the signed and completed or VA Form 21-686c, the first of the month following the date of the event that allowed the Veteran to add a dependent to his/her award the Veteran submitted a if signed and completed within one year of that date. VA Form 21-686c An for the purpose of this block, might include Example: “event,” marriage birth of a child, or the assignment of a disability rating of 30 percent or higher for SC disabilities.
a. Action to Take When Medical Records Reveal the Existence of a Dependent That Is Not on a Veteran’s Review of a Veteran’s medical records will occasionally reveal the existence a spouse or that has not been added to a Veteran’s award. Upon discovering such information, follow the instructions in the table below. Important: RO employees should not routinely review medical records for the sole purpose of identifying dependents that have not been added to a Veteran’s award. Step Action 1 Is the Veteran receiving pension, or does the Veteran have a combined disability rating of at least 30 percent for SC disabilities? If yes, proceed to the next step. If no, proceed no further. The Veteran lacks eligibility to have a dependent on his /her award. 2 Send the Veteran VA Form 21-686c for completion. Important: If the Veteran is receiving pension, also send him/her one of the following forms for completion: VA Form 21-0516-1, Improved Pension Eligibility Verification Report (Veteran With No Children), or VA Form 21-0517-1, Improved Pension Eligibility Verification Report (Veteran With Children). b. Assigning an Effective Date Based on Information About Dependents That VA Discovers in Medical Records When a Veteran returns the VA Form 21-686c that VA sent in accordance with the instructions in M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 5.A.6.a, determine whether VA may recognize the individual on the form as the Veteran’s dependent. If the relationship between the Veteran and the individual named on the form can be established, add the individual to the Veteran’s award the earlier of the following dates: the first of the month following the month VA received the signed and completed VA Form 21-686c, or the first of the month following the date of the event that allowed the Veteran to add a dependent to his/her award if the Veteran submitted a signed and completed VA Form 21-686c within one year of that date. Example: An “event,” for the purpose of this block, might include marriage birth of a child, or the assignment of a disability rating of 30 percent or higher for SC disabilities.