A PTSD re-evaluation, sometimes triggered when you file a new claim for other conditions or scheduled periodically under 38 CFR 3.327, is a routine part of the VA disability system. Filing a claim for unrelated conditions (back, hips, feet, sleep apnea) does not automatically put your PTSD rating at risk, but the VA can schedule a re-exam whenever it believes current evidence is needed to assess your overall disability picture, and once that exam is ordered it will happen regardless of what a claim was originally filed for.
Importantly, 38 CFR 3.344 provides added protection for ratings that have been in effect for five years or more, calling them "stabilized." Before the VA can reduce a stabilized rating, it must show sustained improvement of the condition under the ordinary conditions of life, not just improvement observed on one exam day, and the medical evidence must be considered in its entirety, not cherry-picked. Even if a reduction is proposed, you are entitled to advance written notice, a minimum 60-day period to submit evidence or request a hearing, and the reduction (if it proceeds) generally does not take effect for at least 60 more days after the final decision. Reductions are not automatic just because a re-exam occurs.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
Does your rating decision hold up under a real audit?
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Analyze my claim free →As for the exam itself, a re-evaluation C&P typically follows a similar format to the original exam: the examiner reviews your claims file, asks about current symptoms, treatment history, and functional impact on work and relationships, and may ask about the stressor event again, though the level of detail required can vary by examiner and is often less exhaustive than the original exam that established service connection. You are allowed to answer factually and unemotionally; examiners are trained to assess symptom severity from your description and records, not from displayed emotion. You do not have to relive the trauma in dramatic detail to be found credible.
At the Board of Veterans' Appeals, across issues decided from 1992 to July 2026, PTSD issues (174,691) came out 20.4% granted, 21.2% denied and 52.5% remanded (VetAid's Board outcome rates). These are outcomes for cases that were already appealed, not the odds of winning an initial claim, and appealed cases are not a random sample of all claims.
The concrete next step is to go into the exam prepared to calmly and specifically describe your current symptoms, their frequency, and their impact on daily functioning, and to request a copy of the exam report afterward so you can respond quickly if a reduction is proposed.
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