Telephone and Video C&P Exams: ACE, Telehealth, Recording and Your Options (2026)

You may open a VA exam letter or take a call from a number like “VA EXAM-QTC” and find out your Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam is not in a clinic at all. It is a phone call, a video visit, or, in some cases, no live exam. This guide explains what VA’s own sources say about those formats, how to prepare, what you can and can’t ask for, and what to do if the exam was thin. It also covers the question veterans ask most: are telephone C&P exams recorded?

What is a telephone or video C&P exam?

A C&P exam helps VA decide whether a condition is service-connected and how severe it is. VA’s claim exam page says VA asks for an exam only if it needs more information to decide the claim, and that in some cases it may schedule a telehealth exam: a phone or video appointment you can join from your home. The exam is done by either a VA provider or a contract provider.

For video exams, VA’s adjudication manual (M21-1) uses the term Tele-C&P. It says these evaluations can provide “accurate and fully descriptive face-to-face evaluations” through telehealth video technology, and that VA reviews the report under the same sufficiency standards that apply to in-person exams (M21-1, Part IV, Subpart i, 3.A.1.c). In other words, a video exam is meant to be a real exam, not a lesser one.

The contractors that perform exams for VA are Loyal Source, OptumServe, Leidos QTC and VES, and VA says you can’t request a specific one (benefits.va.gov claim exam page). Our guide to the C&P exam contractors covers who is who and how scheduling works.

ACE vs. telehealth: what’s the difference?

These are two different things, and they are easy to mix up.

VA explains ACE this way: if your file has enough medical evidence, VA will review your records and ask you to submit more evidence if needed, instead of asking you to have an exam (VA’s claim exam page). The M21-1 adds that VHA and contract examiners generally have the option to complete the questionnaire from existing evidence rather than scheduling an in-person exam, and that the examiner may also interview the claimant (M21-1, Part IV, Subpart i, 2.A.4.a).

Two practical points follow. First, because ACE is built on your file, what is already in your records matters even more. Second, you may never be told an ACE review happened unless you read the report. The questionnaire templates include ACE check boxes that show how the examiner got the medical information (M21-1, 2.A.4.d).

Which C&P exams can be done by phone or video?

No single list covers every condition. These are the limits the sources describe.

Exams where ACE is not allowed

The M21-1 says the ACE process is not available for these categories (M21-1, Part IV, Subpart i, 2.A.4.b, change date August 18, 2026):

• Exams when the necessary electronic medical records aren’t available for the examiner to review
• Separation Health Assessments for IDES and BDD claims
• General medical exams
• Initial and review traumatic brain injury (TBI) exams
• Mental disorder exams

The manual lists exceptions. ACE may be used for any exam type when a veteran has a terminal illness, has a catastrophic disability, or is homeless, appears to be severely disabled, and efforts to contact the veteran have failed. The manual also says VBA may still require an in-person exam in some cases, such as when a Board of Veterans’ Appeals remand directs one.

That does not mean a mental health exam can’t be remote. The M21-1 refers to “telemental health” exams done by video (M21-1, 3.A.1.c). A VA Office of Inspector General report from 2020 noted that telemental health exams use videoconferencing so the examiner can observe nonverbal cues (VA OIG report 20-02826-07). See our mental health C&P exam prep guide and second-opinion guide.

Exams that need hands-on testing

The same OIG report, written during the 2020 pandemic, said exams requiring direct interaction, such as range-of-motion testing, cannot be completed through telehealth. It also reported that, as of March 2020, VBA said 29 of 77 questionnaires were suitable for telehealth, including conditions such as sleep apnea and headaches, and that telehealth exams for many questionnaires needed certain equipment or a “telepresenter” at the veteran’s location. VBA officials told the OIG that a telepresenter was required for all telehealth exams except telemental health. That is 2020 information. VA may have changed its guidance since, so treat it as background, not a current checklist. If you were told a joint or hearing exam would be by phone, it is reasonable to ask the scheduler to confirm the exam type.

How do I prepare for a telephone or video C&P exam?

The basics in our C&P exam preparation guide and C&P exam tips still apply. For a remote exam, add these steps:

• Confirm the appointment. VA says to call the number on your letter, or confirm during the scheduling call, and that you can ask for accommodations at that time.
• Know who will call. VA lists the caller ID each contractor uses, such as “VA EXAM-QTC,” “VA EXAM-Optum,” “VA Exam - Loyal Source” and “VA EXAM-VES.” Keep your phone on and answer, and expect to verify your identity.
• Find a quiet, private space with good signal. Test your camera, microphone and internet connection ahead of a video visit.
• Have your medication list and a short written summary of your symptoms in front of you. Our C&P exam notes tool can help you organize them.
• Describe your worst days and daily limits in specific terms. The examiner can’t watch you move through a phone call, so details matter: how often, how long, what you can’t do.
• Be accurate. Don’t exaggerate or play down anything.
• Check that your records are in your file. If the examiner is working from ACE, your treatment records and any private evidence are the foundation. The DBQ guide explains what the examiner is filling out.
• Write down the examiner’s name, the date and time, how long the exam lasted, and what was or wasn’t asked, as soon as it ends.

For conditions like sleep apnea, read the condition-specific prep post too.

Can I ask for an in-person exam instead?

Here is what the sources do and don’t say. VA says the scheduler may offer telehealth “in some cases,” and the M21-1 says examiners generally have the option to use ACE instead of an in-person exam. The sources I reviewed do not give a veteran a right to pick the format. They also don’t say a veteran is barred from asking.

What you can do:

1. Ask when you confirm the appointment. VA says you can request transportation help or other accommodations when you confirm. If you have no private space, a disability that makes a call or video visit hard, or no reliable connection, say so then.
2. Put it in writing. VA says you can write a letter and submit it as part of your claim file. Explain the barrier in a few plain sentences.
3. Use the right contact. Call the contractor on your letter, or call VA at 800-827-1000, which is the number listed on benefits.va.gov for questions about whether you need an exam.
4. Consider other evidence. VA says you can have your own provider fill out a DBQ and submit it. VA won’t pay for it, and VA decides how much weight it gets.

If a phone or video exam has already happened and you think it didn’t fit your condition, see the inadequate-exam section below and our guide on how to request a new C&P exam.

Are telephone C&P exams recorded?

This section only reports what VA policy sources say. For recording laws by state and practical advice on an in-person exam, see Can You Record Your C&P Exam? We won’t repeat it here.

What the sources don’t say:

• I found no VA or contractor policy that treats phone or video exams differently from in-person exams on recording.
• I found no public VA or contractor policy stating that VA or its contractors do record phone or video exams, and none stating that they don’t. So this guide can’t tell you either way.
• I did not verify state recording laws for remote calls here. Those depend on where you and the examiner are located, so read the state-law section in our linked recording guide, and consider asking an accredited attorney.

If recording matters to you, the contractor or VA is the place to ask, ideally in writing before the exam. Remember what failing to report can cost (next section). What VA does keep is the written exam report, which you can request with VA Form 20-10206.

What if I miss the call?

A missed phone or video exam is still a missed exam. Under 38 CFR § 3.655, if you fail to report without good cause, an original compensation claim is rated on the evidence of record, and for other claims, including a claim for increase, the claim shall be denied. Examples of good cause include illness or hospitalization and the death of an immediate family member.

VA says to explain a missed exam by phone, through the claim status tool, or by mail. To reschedule, tell VA or the contractor at least 48 hours ahead. With a contractor, you can reschedule only once per exam, and the new appointment must be within 5 days of the original. More in our guide on cancelled or rescheduled C&P exams.

What if my phone or video exam was inadequate?

Under 38 CFR § 4.2, if a diagnosis isn’t supported by the findings on the examination report, or the report doesn’t contain sufficient detail, the rating board is supposed to return it as inadequate for evaluation. Remote exams are held to the same standard as in-person ones.

1. Get the report. File VA Form 20-10206. VA says you won’t get results at the exam or from the provider.
2. Read it against what happened. Look at whether the exam type matches what you were told, whether ACE was used, whether the examiner covered your main symptoms, and whether any facts are wrong. For a structured check, use our C&P exam adequacy checker, and see red flags in a C&P exam.
3. Report the problem. VA encourages reporting a bad experience right away, through the contractor’s survey, a letter in your claim file, a call to the contractor, a call to VA, or your regional office.
4. Add evidence. Treatment records, a statement describing what the exam missed, or a private DBQ or medical opinion can go into the file. Our comparison of private opinions and C&P exams explains how they differ.
5. Choose a review path if you got a decision. Under 38 CFR § 3.2500, within one year of a decision you can elect a higher-level review or a Board appeal, and you can file a supplemental claim at any time. You can’t run different review options on the same issue at the same time. See how to appeal a VA denial and how to request a new exam.

A VA-accredited attorney, claims agent or VSO can help pick a path. You can search accredited representatives in VA’s accreditation search. This article is not legal advice.

One note: a telehealth nexus letter from your own provider is a different thing from a telehealth C&P exam. A nexus letter is private evidence you obtain. A C&P exam is ordered by VA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• VA.gov: VA claim exam (C&P exam)
• benefits.va.gov: Claim Exam Information
• M21-1, Part IV, Subpart i, Chapter 2, Section A: Examination Requests Overview (topics 1.h and 4)
• M21-1, Part IV, Subpart i, Chapter 3, Section A: General Criteria for Sufficiency of Examination Reports (topics 1.c and 1.m)
• 38 CFR § 3.655, 38 CFR § 4.2, 38 CFR § 3.2500 (eCFR, current as of October 29, 2026)
• VA OIG report 20-02826-07 (November 19, 2020)