Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996)
VA Terminology Definition
Plain English Definition
An appeal asking a senior VA employee to look at your claim again using the SAME evidence. Best when you believe the VA made an error.
Why This Matters
No new evidence allowed. Use when the VA ignored evidence, used wrong rating criteria, or made calculation errors.
Example
The decision ignored a nexus letter in your file. File a Higher-Level Review and explain: 'The decision ignored the nexus letter from Dr. Smith dated 5/15/2024.'