#### Department of Veterans Affairs M21-1MR, Part III

**Veterans Benefits Administration Subpart v**

**Washington, DC 20420 November 13, 2008**

#### Transmittal Sheet 

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > Veterans Benefits Manual M21-1MR, Part III, Subpart   |
|  M21-1MR,  | > v, Chapter 2, *Decision* *Authorization and           |
|            | > Notification* (formerly *Award and Denial             |
| #####      | > Authorization and Notification*), Section A,          |
|  Part III, | > *Decision* *Authorization* (formerly *Award and       |
|  Subpart v | > Denial Authorization*), is changed as follows:        |
|            | >                                                       |
| #####      | > The following pages are updated in this change:       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   2-i                                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   2-A-1 through 2-A-9, 2-A-11 through 2-A-13, 2-A-15  |
|            |     through 2-A-16, 2-A-18 through 2-A-20, and 2-A-22   |
|            |     through 2-A-25                                      |
|            |                                                         |
|            |     ***Notes***:                                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   This change is primarily intended to reflect the    |
|            |     revised policy to permit 30 days for development    |
|            |     response and the policy that VONAPP claims no       |
|            |     longer require a hard-copy signature. This change   |
|            |     also revises several references to BDN processing,  |
|            |     substituting VETSNET processing when applicable.    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   M21-1MR changes are released at the chapter or      |
|            |     section level. Change numbers will no longer be     |
|            |     assigned to M21-1MR changes. The date of the change |
|            |     will continue to show in the "Change Date" block    |
|            |     located on the first page of each topic.            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   Minor editorial changes have also been made to      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
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|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   remove references to rescinded portions of M21-1    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   update obsolete terminology where appropriate (for  |
|            |     example: change *service medical records (SMRs)* to |
|            |     *service treatment records (STRs)*; change          |
|            |     *Benefits Delivery Network (BDN)* to *Share*; and   |
|            |     change *Work in Progress (WIPP)* to *VETSNET        |
|            |     Operations Report (VOR)*), and                      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   bring the chapters into conformance with M21-1MR    |
|            |     publication standards.                              |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

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i

Transmittal Sheet, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### Cha  | > The table below describes the changes included in     |
| nges Inclu | > this revision to Part III, Subpart v, Chapter 2,      |
| ded in Thi | > Section A                                             |
| s Revision |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| Location of         | Reason(s) for the change                       |
| revision            |                                                |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| Table of Contents   | -   To change the title of Chapter 2 to        |
|                     |     *Decision Authorization and Notification*. |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To change the title of Section A to        |
|                     |     *Decision Authorization*.                  |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| Part III, Subpart   | -   To change the description in Stage 1 from  |
| v, Chapter 2,       |     BDN input to VETSNET input.                |
| Section A, Topic 2, |                                                |
| Block a             | -   To change the description in Stage 2 from  |
|                     |     BDN letter to VETSNET letter.              |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To specify that the Stage 4 disposition of |
|                     |     claims folders pertains to physical        |
|                     |     folders, not virtual claims folders.       |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.2.b       | -   To change the block title to emphasize     |
|                     |     that BDN is used only if VETSNET Awards    |
|                     |     cannot be used.                            |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To add an introductory sentence that       |
|                     |     VETSNET should be used in lieu of BDN when |
|                     |     possible.                                  |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To add a reference to the VETSNET Awards   |
|                     |     Handbook.                                  |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.4         | To change the topic title.                     |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.4.a       | -   To specify that the 405 screen is          |
|                     |     applicable when using the BDN system.      |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To include an option to update the         |
|                     |     corporate database in lieu of the M13      |
|                     |     screen.                                    |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To include a reference to the VETSNET      |
|                     |     Awards Handbook for processing denials     |
|                     |     using VETSNET.                             |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.4.h       | -   To add a bullet with instructions to       |
|                     |     cancel the pending EP.                     |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To revise the note and clarify that a      |
|                     |     handwritten signature is no longer         |
|                     |     required for a VONAPP claim.               |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To revise the reference and include an     |
|                     |     exception to the procedure for certain     |
|                     |     death claims.                              |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+

Continued on next page

ii

Transmittal Sheet, Continued

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Changes Included in This Revision (continued)

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| Location of         | Reason(s) for the change                       |
| revision            |                                                |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.4.i       | To add a bullet with instructions to cancel    |
|                     | the pending EP control.                        |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.5.a       | -   To change the term from service medical    |
|                     |     records (SMRs) to service treatment        |
|                     |     records (STRs).                            |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To add a reference link for denying claims |
|                     |     without rating decisions.                  |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.5.b       | -   To replace the reference to BDN with a     |
|                     |     reference to VETSNET.                      |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To clarify the nature of evidence needed   |
|                     |     to reopen a claim.                         |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.5.c       | -   To replace the reference to BDN with a     |
|                     |     reference to VETSNET.                      |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To replace the term claimant with the term |
|                     |     veteran.                                   |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.6.a       | -   To clarify that the block pertains to the  |
|                     |     issue of evidence related to service       |
|                     |     connection or disability.                  |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To replace the reference to BDN with a     |
|                     |     reference to VETSNET.                      |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.6.b       | To replace the reference to BDN with a         |
|                     | reference to VETSNET.                          |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.6.c       | To change development control time from 60     |
|                     | days to 30 days.                               |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.7.a       | -   To replace the term disallowance with the  |
|                     |     term denial.                               |
|                     |                                                |
|                     | -   To specify in the first bullet that the    |
|                     |     denial is reprocessed only if benefits are |
|                     |     not running.                               |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+
| III.v.2.A.7.b       | To emphasize that BDN is used for processing   |
|                     | claims only if VETSNET is not yet available.   |
+---------------------+------------------------------------------------+

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