An Acceptable Clinical Evidence or ACE Exam is one type of Compensation & Pension or C&P exam that a veteran seeking VA benefits might be asked to take to complete the disability claim process.
It is usually done online and may include a phone call from someone on the Veterans disability claims help staff; however, it does not include an in-person exam or interview.
The exam involves the individual submitting evidence that substantiates their veteran's disability claim as well as reviewing for correctness any other evidence already held by the VA.
What Is the Purpose of an ACE Exam?
Many people wonder whether being required to fill out an ACE Exam form is a bad thing and if it suggests they will not be approved for VA benefits, but this is not so.
Actually, many VA benefits help experts find that most of those required to do an ACE Exam typically get approved if they submit the right evidence at the time.
As with all other claims applications and C&P Exams, approval lies in being able to present the evidence necessary to not just prove that a condition exists but also how it is service connected.
Since ACE Exams are done solely online, the veteran must be very careful to submit the needed information that supports their claim.
When Can an ACE Exam Be Done?
ACE Exams are acceptable as C&P Exams only for certain disability conditions.
Those conditions include hearing loss, tinnitus, migraines, sleep apnea, cardiac conditions, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and any condition that is considered terminal.
The evaluations are appropriate when the existing evidence about a veteran’s disability claim is sufficient to prove their disability and the level of disability as an assessment of service-related connection and when a medical opinion is required to determine the relationship between a claim and a service-connected condition and whether a disability occurred during or was aggravated while in service.
Need to Submit Precise Evidence for ACE Exams
Based on the decisions that can be made using an online ACE Exam, veterans must be precise with their evidence submission and review.
Also, there are numerous situations where ACE Exams are not permitted for VA benefits, including any required general health exams, mental health exams, or when the VA specifically requests an in-person exam.
What Does All This Mean?
In summary, ACE Exams can be a fast track to VA benefits approval for many, but only as long as they have provided the necessary and important evidence to prove their service-connected claim.
Those with questions on how to do this or about the evidence they do have should seek VA benefits help from experts trained in veterans disability claims help.