How we research, review, and stand behind our content
Accurate medical reasoning can change the outcome of a VA claim. Here is exactly how our content and evaluations are produced — who reviews them, what we cite, and the limits we're honest about.
Every page on this site is built to one rule: give veterans the medicine and the law straight, sourced to authority, and reviewed by a licensed clinician before it's published.
Clinical authorship & review
Every article, guide, and case study is authored or reviewed by a licensed healthcare professional with direct experience in independent medical opinions (IMOs) and the VA rating schedule. Clinical statements are checked against the source before publication. Our current medical reviewers:
Dr Kishan Bhalani
MD, MBA
Dr. Kishan Bhalani is a subject matter expert on VA disability claims documentation, with more than five years of focused work at the intersection of clinical medicine and the VA claims process.
Each reviewer's name and credentials appear on the content they review. You can verify any clinician's license through the relevant state board.
What we cite — and how
We don't ask you to take our word for it. Our content is sourced to primary authority, not summarized from other blogs:
Rating criteria cite the governing regulation by diagnostic code (for example, 38 CFR § 4.124a, DC 8100 for migraine), drawn from the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD).
Medical mechanism claims cite peer-reviewed literature — PubMed/NCBI, JAMA, NEJM, and established clinical guidelines.
Case examples cite the actual Board of Veterans' Appeals decision by citation and docket number, so you can read the source yourself.
Independence, objectivity & honest opinions
Military Disability Nexus is an independent medical-evidence provider. We are not a law firm, we do not provide legal advice, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Our clinicians give honest opinions based on the evidence. We do not guarantee a favorable opinion, and an evaluation may conclude that the evidence does not support a service connection. A clinician's assessment is independent of whether you purchase any service.
The VA decides every claim. No website, letter, or evaluation can promise a rating or outcome — and we never will.
How we use (and don't use) AI
We're transparent about our tools. AI may assist with background research and drafting, which helps us cover more conditions in plain language. But AI is never the final authority on anything clinical. Every medical statement, citation, and rating reference is independently reviewed, verified, and approved by a licensed clinician before it is published. A person — not a model — is accountable for the accuracy of what you read here.
Corrections & continuous updating
VA law and medical science change — presumptive lists expand, rating criteria get revised, new case law lands. We audit and update our content to track PACT Act changes, VASRD revisions, and current medical consensus, and each article shows a "Last reviewed" date.
Found something that looks wrong? We want to know. Our Corrections Policy explains how we review and fix errors, and how to flag one. For the limits of this educational content, see our Disclaimer.
Questions about our process?
Our clinical team is glad to walk you through how we'd approach your specific case.
Contact us →