A Higher-Level Review (HLR), filed on VA Form 20-0996, allows a veteran to request that a senior reviewer take a fresh look at a prior decision without submitting new evidence. As part of that process, a veteran can request an informal conference, a phone call with the reviewer (or sometimes a case manager) to discuss the claim, point out errors, or clarify the record before the decision is finalized. These calls are scheduled by the VA and are supposed to occur at the designated date and time, but technical failures, staffing gaps, or scheduling mix-ups between regional offices (such as one office handling the call for a claim actually assigned elsewhere) do happen and are a known frustration in the HLR process.
If the VA fails to connect the call, the informal conference has not been conducted, and the veteran has not forfeited their right to it. The reviewer is expected to still consider the case, but they cannot properly conduct the discussion the veteran requested until it actually happens. Documenting the failed attempt is the right instinct: keeping call logs, screenshots, and reference or confirmation numbers, and submitting them through the VA's Quick Submit or by adding evidence to the claims file, creates a record showing the veteran attempted to comply in good faith.
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 |
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Analyze my claim free →On the question of mental health versus other medical HLRs moving at different speeds: there is no fixed rule that one type of contention is inherently prioritized over another. Processing order depends on the individual regional office's workload, the completeness of the file, and sometimes internal triage decisions, so timelines for otherwise similar HLRs can vary noticeably from veteran to veteran and cannot be predicted from the nature of the condition alone.
If two separate HLRs are pending, it is worth confirming in writing (not just by phone) which specific claim and contentions are tied to which scheduled conference, since call center representatives are not always looking at the same systems as the rating team. Veterans should also know they can request the informal conference be rescheduled if it did not occur, and can ask for confirmation that the correct HLR file is the one under review.
The concrete next step is to call the VA back (or use IRIS/eBenefits messaging) specifically to request that the missed informal conference be rescheduled, referencing the date, time, and confirmation code of the failed attempt, and to ask for written confirmation of which HLR claim number the conference is linked to.
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