M21-1 and 38 CFR changes, week of Jul 27, 2026

Added

• reviewing the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) and the electronic claims folder (eFolder) to determine if the record is fire-related
• documenting responses from NPRC in the eFolder
• determining if the evidence of record establishes an in-service event, injury, or disease
• stages of review and development for fire-related records
• July 31, 2026
• 80 percent of the records NPRC held for Veterans who were discharged from the Army between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960, and
• who were discharged from the Air Force between September 25, 1947, and January 1, 1964.
• Two corporate flashes, as discussed in

and 183 more added passages

Removed

• requesting reconstruction of a Veteran’s medical records
• action to take when a claimant fails to return a completed
• NA Form 13055
• Request for Information Needed to Reconstruct Medical Data
• handling negative replies to Personnel Information Exchange System (PIES) requests submitted under request code M05-V
• requesting reconstruction of a Veteran’s military service records
• action to take when a claimant fails to return a completed
• NA Form 13075

and 193 more removed passages

Added

• M21-1, Part V, Subpart iv, 1.C.2
• July 29, 2026
• The Evaluation Builder is programmed to represent accurate policy and procedure.
• When an officially-issued change in regulatory, policy, or procedural guidance, or a technical or system issue, causes the Evaluation Builder to generate inaccurate results, decision makers are authorized, and must take steps, to either override the Evaluation Builder by making system entries that provide justification for the override, or to use appropriate workarounds, as directed, to ensure ac…
• To override an Evaluation Builder result, VBMS-R requires the claims processor to provide an override reason from a list of options, and free text rationale forming a justification for the override reason and outcome.
• means that the free text rationale demonstrates
• the chosen override reason is applicable to the specific circumstances of the claim

and 21 more added passages

Removed

• M21-1, Part V, Subpart iv, 1.C.2.c and d
• September 15, 2021
• The Evaluation Builder is programmed to represent accurate policy and procedure and should not be overridden unless specific authorization exists for doing so.
• When a change in policy or procedure is officially issued in either regulatory, policy, or procedural guidance and causes the Evaluation Builder to generate inaccurate results for a temporary period of time until updates can be made, decision makers are required to override the Evaluation Builder or use appropriate workarounds so that disabilities are accurately evaluated in accordance with publi…
• In these situations, decision makers will be directed to utilize overrides or workarounds.
• total disability based on individual unemployability (IU) cannot be awarded on a schedular basis.
• IU benefits, and/or
• He retired from this position in January of 2012, after 23 years.

and 15 more removed passages

Added

• July 28, 2026
• Service Connected Death
• Non-Service Connected Burial, or
• Income/Net Worth Adjustment
• Medical Expense Adjustment
• Medal of Honor Pension (Survivor)

and 19 more added passages

Removed

• July 10, 2026
• Service Connected Death

and 4 more removed passages