What BDD Is
Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) lets a service member file a VA disability claim before leaving the service, so the VA can work on it while you are still on active duty. The goal is a decision close to your separation date instead of months after it.
Who Can Use It
According to VA.gov, you must meet all of these:
- You are on full-time active duty (this includes National Guard, Reserve, and Coast Guard members).
- You have a known separation date that is between 180 and 90 days away when you file.
- You can be available for VA exams for 45 days from the date you apply.
What You Submit
- Your completed claim application.
- The Separation Health Assessment, Part A Self-Assessment.
- Your service treatment records. If you file online, VA requests them for you. Otherwise you provide copies.
How the Timeline Works
180 to 90 days before separation
This is the filing window. File inside it. The 90-day mark is a hard edge, so do not wait until the last week to start.
The first 45 days after you file
Be available for VA exams during this stretch. VA says you also need to complete all phases of the VA and Department of Defense separation exams before you are released.
Adding conditions
You can add more conditions until 90 days before discharge. VA notes that conditions added close to your separation date may end up processed after you separate.
What Can Take a Claim Out of BDD
VA says claims that need special handling do not qualify for BDD. Examples it lists include a terminal illness, a need for case management, or being unable to attend exams within the 45-day window.
What If You Are Under 90 Days Out?
You can still file. It just will not go through BDD. VA also generally sets the effective date as early as the day after you separate when a claim comes in within one year of separation, which is one more reason not to sit on it. See VA Effective Dates and the Intent to File for how that works.
Find your dates in seconds
Enter your separation date in the free BDD Window Calculator to see when your window opens and closes, plus the first-year deadlines that follow.
Open the BDD CalculatorWant the month-by-month plan?
The BDD & First-Year Civilian Playbook walks the 180-day window and your first twelve months out, covering claims, healthcare, insurance, education, employment, and state benefits. Now on Kindle.
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Claim Compass has free tools for tracking your timing and deadlines, plus a Pro plan to organize your whole claim. Try Pro free for 14 days.
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A one-page printable checklist for your 180-to-90-day filing window.
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Educational information only. This article is general information, not legal, medical, or financial advice, and The Veteran Roadmap is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. For advice on your situation, talk with an accredited VSO, claims agent, or attorney.
Official source: VA.gov: Pre-discharge claims (BDD)
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