The Playbook › Step 3 of 7: File the claim
If you are still on active duty, you do not have to wait until you are out to file. The Benefits Delivery at Discharge program, or BDD, lets you submit your claim between 180 and 90 days before your separation date. VA does the exams while you are still in, with the goal of having a decision ready shortly after you leave.
It is the smoothest way to start VA benefits, and the window is easy to miss.
The short version
- File 180 to 90 days before separation or retirement.
- You need a known separation date and a copy of your service treatment records.
- You must be available for exams for 45 days after you file.
- Miss the window and you can still file. You just use the regular process.
- Claim everything that is documented, even if it seems minor today.
On this page
Why BDD is worth the effort
- Faster decisions. The work is done before you separate, so pay can start soon after discharge instead of months later.
- Your records are at hand. You can still walk into the clinic and get your service treatment records.
- Evidence is fresh. Problems are documented while you are still being seen by military medicine.
- No gap in income for many service members between the last military paycheck and the first VA payment.
Who can use it
You can use BDD if all of these apply:
- You are on full-time active duty, including Guard and Reserve members on active orders
- You have a known separation date
- That date is 180 to 90 days away
- You can attend VA exams during the 45 days after you file
- You can give VA a copy of your service treatment records for your current period of service
Who cannot
BDD is not available if you:
- Have fewer than 90 days left
- Need case management for a serious injury or illness, or are terminally ill
- Are hospitalized or awaiting discharge from a hospital
- Are pregnant
- Cannot attend an exam during the 45-day window
- Need a character of discharge determination
- Are adding to a claim with fewer than 90 days left
If you are excluded, you can still file before or after discharge using the standard process. If VA receives your claim within one year of separation, your effective date can still go back to the day after you left service.
How to file a BDD claim
- Get your service treatment records. Ask your military treatment facility for a complete copy. Do this early. It can take weeks.
- Go to your Transition Assistance Program briefing. VA benefits advisors there can answer questions.
- Complete the Separation Health Assessment self-assessment. VA requires this form, called Part A, with BDD claims.
- File VA Form 21-526EZ on VA.gov. The form recognizes that you are still serving. See the filing guide.
- Upload your records and the self-assessment.
- Attend your exams. VA will schedule them quickly. See C&P exam tips.
What to claim
Go through your service treatment records page by page and list everything you were seen for that still bothers you. Common items that get left off:
- Tinnitus and hearing loss
- Joint problems that you “just dealt with”
- Sleep problems, including sleep apnea
- Headaches
- Scars
- Mental health symptoms
- Digestive problems
Get it documented now. If something has bothered you for years and you never went to sick call, get seen before you separate. A note in your service treatment record is far easier than proving the link later.
If you have fewer than 90 days
File anyway, through the regular process. You can submit the claim before discharge, and VA will process it after you separate. You lose the head start but not the benefits. At the very least, submit an Intent to File.
After you separate
- Send VA your DD214 as soon as you have it if they do not already have it.
- Update your address and phone number.
- Watch VA.gov for your decision.
- Check the rating against what you claimed. See reading your decision letter.
Guard and Reserve
BDD is for members on active duty with a firm separation date. If you are leaving the Guard or Reserve without being on active orders, you file a standard claim. See eligibility.
Free printable checklist. Everything to gather before you file, what to bring to your C&P exam, and what to check in your decision, on two pages.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.