Every firm has questions that go beyond a standard intake. Your team may want to understand a veteran’s work history, ask about an upcoming deadline, or collect context before the first conversation. Custom intake questions let your firm gather that information alongside the standard VCH intake, using prompts and instructions you write yourself.

Ask what matters to your workflow, without showing every client questions that do not apply.

Choose the right format for each question

VCH supports six question types. These examples are hypothetical—not built-in templates:

• Short text: A single-line answer of up to 255 characters. For example: “What was your most recent job title?”
• Paragraph: A longer response of up to 4,000 characters. For example: “What would you like our team to understand before we speak?”
• Date: A date entered in mm/dd/yyyy format. For example: “When did you last work?”
• Single choice: Radio buttons for choosing one answer. For example: “How would you prefer we contact you?” with options your firm defines.
• Multi choice: Checkboxes for selecting more than one answer. For example: “Which topics would you like to discuss?” with your firm’s own list of topics.
• Yes / no: A question with predefined Yes and No answers. For example: “Were you employed?”

You can add help text to explain what you need or how to answer. For choice questions, enter each option on its own line. A focused list is usually easier for clients to complete.

Ask follow-up questions only when they apply

Each question has a Required when this question is visible checkbox, which starts unchecked. Use it when an answer is necessary for your intake process. A required Multi choice question needs at least one selection.

Conditional questions help keep the form relevant. Set Show when to Always, or choose a parent question and select the triggering Parent answer.

For example, your firm could ask “Were you employed?” as a Yes / no question, then show a Short text question called “Last job” only when the answer is Yes.

The parent must be a Yes / no or Single choice question. Multi choice answers cannot trigger follow-ups, and a follow-up cannot have another follow-up beneath it. Hidden questions are not required. If someone changes a parent answer so a follow-up no longer applies, the old follow-up answer is dropped.

Set up and publish your questions

Question management is available to admins:

1. Open Intake Questions in VCH admin, between Form Settings and Veteran Representatives.
2. Add your prompts, optional help text, question types, and any choice options.
3. Set Required when this question is visible and any Show when conditions.
4. Review Enable custom questions on new intake links. This setting defaults to on, but without published questions, clients receive no additional questions step.
5. Select Publish intake questions when your question set is ready.

Editing your working draft does not change new intake links until you publish. To remove a question from new links, archive it and then publish. Once a question has been published, its type cannot be changed; archive it and add a new question if you need a different format.

Keep earlier intakes intact

Publishing creates a fixed version of your questions. Already-issued intake links or codes retain their assigned version; later publication does not rewrite those intakes. Older links without a custom-question version continue to use the standard intake.

Reusing your firm’s public intake entry URL is different from continuing an intake that has already started: a newly started intake can receive the published question set, while an existing intake retains its assigned version. Earlier answers also preserve the original question wording, so staff can understand what the client actually answered.

Find answers alongside the case

When published questions apply, clients see Additional questions after the normal full or shortened intake and before signing. Their confirmation also includes Additional questions.

Staff can open the case tab Additional answers to view Additional intake answers. This view shows the prompts and responses, with choice answers displayed as labels and dates as MM/DD/YYYY. Answers stay within your firm.

These responses provide additional context; they do not populate standard veteran, claimant, or case fields, VA forms, or Clio. They are not included in the completion email. There is no number, currency, or file-upload question type, and standard intake and document uploads remain unchanged.

Start with a few questions your team regularly asks after intake. Clear prompts and selective follow-ups can make the next conversation better informed without making every client complete a longer form.

Generating a VA form in VCH already pre-fills everything you have on file for a case — from contact details and service history to representative information. Still, there are plenty of times when you need the veteran or claimant to fill in the remaining blanks themselves, such as writing out a personal statement on a 21-4138, adding employment details on a 21-8940, or reviewing and completing sections only they know firsthand.

Until now, that meant either walking through every box over the phone or emailing PDFs back and forth and re-uploading the finished copy to the case. With VCH’s new Send to Veteran to Complete feature, you can email your client a secure link to fill in any generated PDF form right from their phone, tablet, or computer — with every save updating the document on the case automatically.

How It Works

1. Send a completion link from the VCH PDF editor

When you open any generated, fillable PDF form in VCH’s PDF editor (before it has been submitted to the VA), you’ll see a new Send to Veteran to Complete button in the top toolbar. With one click, VCH emails the case’s claimant a direct link to open and complete that specific form.

2. Simple identity check — no login required

Your client doesn’t need a VCH account or password. When they open the link on their phone or computer, they see a clean verification screen displaying your firm’s logo and name (or the VCH logo if your firm hasn’t uploaded one). Before the form opens, they confirm their identity by entering:

• Last Name
• Date of Birth
• Last 4 Digits of Social Security Number

If someone enters the wrong information five times, VCH automatically locks the link and emails you so you can verify the claimant’s details on the case and send a fresh link when ready.

3. A distraction-free viewer built just for the veteran

Once verified, the PDF opens right in the browser with form filling enabled. Unlike the staff PDF editor, the veteran’s view has no staff toolbar or actions — no Send to VA, Request Consent, Download, or Back to Case buttons. The only thing your client can do is fill in or update the form’s fields and save.

As your client types into fields and taps or clicks outside a box, VCH automatically saves their changes every few seconds (and supports manual saving as well), showing a live “Saved” confirmation at the top of the screen. Each save updates the PDF directly on the case in VCH.

4. You stay 100% in control of review and filing

When your client saves changes to the form, VCH sends you an email notification (at most once per hour so auto-saves never flood your inbox) with a direct Review the form link. While a link is active, a banner at the top of your PDF editor shows who the link was sent to, when it was sent, and when the veteran last saved changes, along with quick options to Copy link, Re-send to Veteran, or Cancel link. Completion links expire automatically after 7 days, or as soon as you cancel the link or submit the document to the VA.

Step-by-Step: How to Send a Form to a Veteran to Complete

1. Open the case in VCH and make sure the claimant has an email address, last name, date of birth, and Social Security Number on file.
2. Generate the VA form you need (for example, a 21-4138 Statement in Support of Claim) or open an existing fillable PDF from the case’s Documents tab in the PDF Editor.
3. If you made any edits yourself in the editor first, click Save so your changes are included.
4. Click Send to Veteran to Complete in the top toolbar, then click Send Link in the confirmation modal.
5. When VCH emails you that the client has saved their changes, open the form in the PDF editor to review their entries, request an e-signature if needed, and click Send to VA when everything is ready.

Why Practices Love It

• No more PDF attachment ping-pong: Stop downloading, emailing, and re-uploading PDFs or deciphering photos of printed forms. Your client edits the exact document already on the case.
• Works on any device with no account setup: Veterans can open the link from their phone or computer, confirm their identity in seconds, and start typing right away.
• Automatic saving prevents lost work: Because changes auto-save every few seconds as the veteran moves from field to field, they don’t have to hunt for a hidden save button or worry about losing a long statement.
• Complete visibility and audit history: Every Sent to Complete and Claimant Saved Form event is logged in the Case History, User History, and your firm’s Audit Timeline, and the editor banner always tells you when the client last saved.
• Human-in-the-loop by design: Veterans can only fill in fields and save back to the case — nothing is ever sent to the VA until you review the finished form and submit it yourself.

Also Available via API and MCP

If your firm uses the VCH REST API or connects an AI assistant through VCH’s MCP server, form completion links are supported there too:

• MCP Tools: Ask your connected assistant to generate a form and send it straight to the client using send_form_to_claimant, check whether they’ve saved changes with get_form_completion_status, or close an open link with cancel_form_completion. Calling generate_form also now returns the direct PDF editor url and filename.
• REST API: Use POST, GET, and DELETE on /cases/{caseId}/documents/{documentId}/completion-requests to send, check, or cancel completion links programmatically.

Have questions or feedback once you try it out? Reach out anytime at support@vaclaimhelper.com.

New on VCH: Connect Your AI Assistant Directly to VCH with MCP

Many accredited representatives, attorneys, and claims agents already use an AI assistant during the day to help draft statements, organize notes, or summarize complex issues. Until now, though, your AI assistant couldn’t see your cases in VCH unless you copied and pasted information back and forth between tabs.

Today we’re rolling out built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) support in VCH. In plain terms, MCP is a universal connector that lets you securely link your favorite AI assistant — such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT, Grok Bot, or your firm’s own internal assistant — directly to your VCH account.

Whether you’re a solo representative who never wants to touch a line of code or a technical power user automating workflows across your firm, here’s what the new VCH MCP server does and how to use it.

Part 1: What This Means for Everyday Practice (No Coding Needed)

Once your AI assistant is connected to VCH, you can ask it to look up information and handle routine case work in plain English — just like messaging a colleague who already has VCH open.

Check on cases and search across your firm

• Focus on active clients automatically: Ask your assistant, “Show me my active cases updated this week,” or “Which active cases don’t have an Intent to File task yet?” By default, VCH automatically filters out archived cases so closed clients never clutter your results (though you can still ask for archived cases anytime).
• Search names, notes, and documents at once: Ask your assistant to find a veteran by name, case ID, phone number, case note, or even a document filename like a DD-214 or C&P exam.

Generate VA forms — while you stay 100% in control

• All 41 supported forms on command: Ask your assistant to prepare a 21-526EZ, 21-22a, 20-0995, 20-0996, 10182, 21-4138, or dependent form pre-filled with the client’s details on file.
• Saved to the case, never auto-submitted: When your assistant generates a form, VCH only saves the PDF to the case’s Documents tab. It never submits anything to the VA automatically. You review, verify, and file everything yourself when it’s ready.

Ask questions and build reports from the C-File

If you use VCH’s C-File AI tools, your connected assistant can work directly with a veteran’s processed C-File:

• Ask questions with exact page citations: Ask, “What did the September 2023 sleep study show, and what page is it on?” and get an answer grounded in the veteran’s actual medical records with the exact source document and page number.
• Run and read deep-dive reports: Ask your assistant to start or summarize a Chronological Timeline, a Medical Visit Report, a Mental Health Summary (mapped to 38 CFR 4.130 rating criteria), or an AI Form Fill that drafts disability entries straight from the record.

Handle client outreach, notes, and tasks

• Send client links in seconds: Ask your assistant to email a veteran an e-signature request, a secure document upload link, or a mobile intake form.
• Keep the case file updated: Dictate a quick case note, create a follow-up task for a teammate, or add a spouse or child dependent without clicking through multiple tabs.

How to connect your assistant in two minutes

VCH supports both OAuth sign-in (for cloud assistants like ChatGPT) and Bearer API keys (for desktop apps and custom tools):

You can connect ChatGPT to VCH using ChatGPT’s Add custom MCP server option:

1. Make sure API access is enabled for your firm in VCH under Admin > API Access.
2. Go to https://chatgpt.com/plugins.
3. Click Add, then choose Add custom MCP server.
4. Enter the VCH MCP server URL: https://vaclaimhelper.com/vch/api/v1/mcp
5. For authentication, select OAuth.
6. When prompted, sign in with your normal VCH account (including 2FA or passkey) and click Allow to approve the connection.

Connecting with an API Key (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or custom tools)

1. In VCH, open Admin > API Access.
2. Click Generate New Key and copy your API key.
3. In your AI assistant’s MCP or connector settings, add the VCH MCP server URL (https://vaclaimhelper.com/vch/api/v1/mcp) along with your API key.

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Part 2: Under the Hood for Power Users & Firm Admins

If you manage IT or operations for your practice — or build custom automations and internal agents — VCH’s MCP server is hosted directly by VCH and uses the same authentication and permission model as our REST API.

Hosted Streamable HTTP Endpoint

There is no local database or middleware service to host. VCH exposes a standard Streamable HTTP MCP endpoint at:

https://vaclaimhelper.com/vch/api/v1/mcp

VCH supports two ways to authenticate against this endpoint:

• OAuth 2.1 + PKCE (ChatGPT & web MCP clients): Simply enter https://vaclaimhelper.com/vch/api/v1/mcp and choose OAuth. VCH automatically serves OAuth discovery metadata (/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource and /.well-known/oauth-authorization-server), supports dynamic client registration (/vch/oauth/register), and authenticates active full-access staff users through your normal VCH login and 2FA/passkey flow.
• Bearer API Key (CLI, desktop bridges & scripts): Authenticate requests directly with your firm’s API key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_VCH_API_KEY>

Quick Configuration Examples

For MCP clients that support Streamable HTTP directly (such as Cursor, Claude, or custom agent runtimes), add this to your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vch": {
      "url": "https://vaclaimhelper.com/vch/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_VCH_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

For desktop clients that connect via a local command bridge (stdio), you can use mcp-remote:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vch": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://vaclaimhelper.com/vch/api/v1/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_VCH_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Built-In Guardrails, Privacy Defaults, and Rate Limits

• Granular Permission Scopes: API keys enforce explicit scopes (case:read, case:write, document:read, document:write, ai:read, ai:write) and are strictly isolated to your firm’s cases.
• SSN Masking by Default: Tools that return veteran or dependent records (get_case, list_dependents, search_cases) mask Social Security Numbers as XXX-XX-1234 by default so full SSNs aren’t sent into an AI conversation unless you explicitly pass includeSsn: true.
• Human-in-the-Loop Filing: There is no MCP tool that submits claims to the VA. Calling generate_form creates the PDF in the case’s document list so a representative always reviews and files it.
• Predictable Pacing: API and MCP calls share a rate limit of 60 requests per minute per firm (roughly 1 request per second). If you run bulk checks across your caseload, pacing requests at ~1 call/sec will keep everything running smoothly without hitting rate_limit_exceeded.

What’s Included: 50+ Tools Across 8 Categories

• Cases & Staff: list_cases (defaults to active cases; supports archived and updatedSince filters), search_cases, get_case, create_case, update_case, archive_case, unarchive_case, and list_staff.
• Dependents: list_dependents, add_dependent, update_dependent, and delete_dependent.
• Notes & Tasks: add_note, update_note, delete_note, create_task, update_task, and delete_task.
• VA Forms: list_forms (lists all 41 form codes and descriptions) and generate_form (supports both veteran and dependent-specific forms).
• Documents: upload_document, two-step presigned uploads for large files (start_document_upload + finish_document_upload), update_document, get_document_download_url, and delete_document.
• Signatures, Consent & Intake: request_claimant_signature, list_signature_requests, request_document_consent, list_document_consent_requests, request_claimant_documents, email_document, and send_intake_form.
• Clio Integration: list_clio_matters and import_clio_matters.
• C-File AI Suite: Full programmatic access to quotes, C-File analysis jobs, page-level search and source inspection, Q&A (ask_ai_question / get_ai_questions), chronological timelines (start_ai_timeline / get_ai_timelines), medical visit reports (start_ai_medical_report / get_ai_medical_reports), mental health summaries (start_ai_mental_health_summary / get_ai_mental_health_summaries), and automated form fills (start_ai_form_fill / get_ai_form_fills).

Ready to try it out? Head to Admin > API Access in VCH or reach out to support@vaclaimhelper.com with any questions.

New on VCH: Combine PDFs, Mental Health Summaries, Clickable Sources, and More

Combine PDFs into one document

Running out of room on a Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review? You no longer have to file two claims or print an extra page and write “see attached.” List the extra conditions on a Letterhead page from Generate Form, then combine it with your claim form right inside VCH. The same works for evidence packets, buddy statements, or any submission bundle.

In the case’s Documents tab, check two or more PDFs in the order you want them, then click Combine Selected PDFs. Name the file and click Combine & Save. The combined PDF is saved to the case, and your originals are kept.

Mental Health Summary

C-File reports now have a Mental Health Summary button. It pulls together diagnoses in the record, in-service stressors, treatment history, and symptoms mapped to the VA’s mental health rating criteria. It also lays out what the record supports, what’s missing, possible secondary conditions, and suggested next steps.

Preview images and videos

Click an image or video in the Documents tab to view it right there, with no download needed.

Fewer dead ends when generating forms

• If the claimant’s signature isn’t on file, VCH lets you email them a signature request on the spot, or generate the form anyway.
• If a case has no rep assigned, you can pick one from a dropdown and keep going.
• Forms like the 21-526EZ, 21-8940, and 21-2680 now generate even when the veteran has no email address on file.

Per-rep contact info for multi-rep firms

Under Admin > Veteran Representatives, each rep can now have their own address, phone, email, and affiliated firm for forms. The 21-22a uses the rep’s details and falls back to the firm’s.

New form: VA 10-10CG

The Application for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers is now in the form library.

Smaller improvements

• Every case shows its Case ID with a copy button, and you can search by it.
• The intake form can ask “How did you hear about us?” and the answer shows on the case.
• Intake for medical firms no longer lists VA legal paperwork like the 21-22a.
• The case list remembers how you like it sorted.
• Clio imports now bring over branch of service, discharge type, service dates, and date of birth.
• C-File processing is faster and more reliable. One bad scanned page no longer stops the whole file.

New on VCH: Clio Integration, Digital Signatures, and More

Import clients directly from Clio

If your firm uses Clio for practice management, you can now connect your Clio account and import matters straight into VCH — no more re-entering client info by hand. You can even map your own Clio custom fields to SSN and date of birth, so that data comes across automatically. Find it under Admin > Clio.

Draw your signature

Veteran representatives can now draw their signature right in the browser and save it to their profile. Once it’s on file, it’s applied automatically wherever a rep signature is needed. If a rep tries to generate a form without a signature on file, VCH now points them straight to where they can add one.

New form: SF 1199A (Direct Deposit Sign-Up)

Added to the form library alongside the discharge upgrade forms (DD-149, DD-293) from our last update.

Form updates

• Refreshed VA’s latest templates for Intent to File (21-0966), Application for Automobile/Adaptive Equipment (21-0845), Automobile Allowance (21-2680), and Authorization to Disclose Information (21-4142)
• Higher-Level Review (20-0996) and Statement in Support of Claim (21-4138) can now pull in conditions found in the case timeline, not just from AI analysis, when picking what to include
• 21-526EZ now lets you choose who signs the form
• Individual Unemployability (21-8940) now defaults to a smaller font so answers fit better
• Fixed a date-of-death handling issue on the dependency/survivor form (21P-0847) and a dependents form issue (21-686c)

Blank letterhead tool

Generate a blank firm letterhead directly from the case toolbar — handy for cover letters and correspondence.

Bigger uploads

Increased the upload time limit so larger C-Files and document sets have more room to finish uploading successfully.

We’re headed to NOVA in Indianapolis

We’re excited to be attending the NOVA conference in Indianapolis this fall — come say hello if you’ll be there too!

New on VCH: Help Your Clients Pursue a Discharge Upgrade

If you represent veterans, you’ve probably run into cases where a less-than-Honorable discharge is standing between your client and the benefits they’ve earned. VCH just made it easier for you to help them do something about it.

We’ve added two new forms to the system: DD-149 and DD-293. Both give you a path to request a correction or upgrade to a client’s discharge; opening the door to VA healthcare, education benefits, home loans, and more that a bad discharge can otherwise block.

Why this matters for your practice

Discharge status isn’t always permanent. If a client’s discharge was shaped by things like PTSD, TBI, sexual assault or harassment, or other circumstances that weren’t fully considered at the time, they may have real grounds for a review, and you’re often the one who has to spot it and build the case.

The two forms, in plain terms

• DD-293 — for requesting a Discharge Review Board take another look at a client’s discharge, generally within 15 years of separation.
• DD-149 — for a deeper correction through the client’s branch Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records, covering discharges DD-293 can’t (like Bad Conduct or Dishonorable), with no time limit to file.

What this means for you

Like every form in VCH, these generate pre-filled with your client’s information, name, service history, address, representative and firm details, and more; so you spend less time on paperwork and more time building the case that gets your client the outcome they deserve.

What’s New in VCH: July 2026 Product Updates

We’ve shipped a batch of updates over the past week focused on getting you answers out of the C-File faster, keeping cases organized, and making notifications more dependable. Here’s what’s new.

Introducing C-File Browse

The biggest addition this round is C-File Browse, a brand new way to work with a processed C-File. Previously, finding a specific document meant downloading the zip file and extracting it on your own computer. Now you can open individual source documents and pages directly in VCH, no download or extraction required.

We also built a Q&A tool right into C-File Browse. Instead of hunting page by page for a specific rating decision or exam note, you can type a question and get an answer grounded in that veteran’s actual C-File.

• Browse the C-File by individual source document or page, right in your browser, with no zip file to download or extract.
• Run a keyword search across the entire C-File right from the Browse screen, and jump straight to the matching page.
• Ask a question from the C-File Browse screen and get an answer sourced from the document, not a generic AI guess.
• Jump straight to the dedicated question and answer view for a fuller read of the response.
• We also lowered the price for Q/A to $1, down to $1 per question from $5, to make it easier to try.

How to Get to C-File Browse

1. Open the case and go to the AI Analysis Jobs tab.
2. Find the completed job for the veteran’s C-File and click View Report.
3. On the report screen, click Browse & Search C-File.

From there you can open any source document or page, or ask a question straight from the toolbar.

Keeping Cases Organized

A few updates make it easier to manage a growing caseload:

• Recently Viewed now tracks the cases you’ve opened most recently, so you can jump back into active work without hunting through the case list.
• Case Details now has a built-in filing checklist that tracks whether the Intent to File, Power of Attorney, and Fee Agreement have been filed, along with the dates, right alongside the case.

Smarter Notifications

Two changes keep you and your clients in the loop automatically:

• Firms can now send intake completion notifications to multiple email addresses instead of just one, so more than one person on your team can be notified when a new intake comes in.
• When an AI-assisted claims import finishes, or fails, the user who requested it now gets an automatic email letting them know, with a direct link to review the imported claims.

As always, if you run into anything unexpected with these features, reach out and let us know.

Never Miss a Claim Deadline Again: Introducing Multi-Claim Tracking in VCH

If you’ve ever managed more than one active VA claim for the same veteran, say an original compensation claim alongside a supplemental claim, or a Higher-Level Review running parallel to a new increase request, you already know the problem: every claim has its own timeline, its own decision dates, and its own deadlines. Keeping them straight in a spreadsheet or a stack of sticky notes doesn’t scale, and a missed deadline can mean a veteran loses out on backpay or an appeal window closes for good.

Today we’re rolling out multi-claim tracking, a major upgrade to how VCH organizes, imports, and monitors every claim tied to a case, so nothing falls through the cracks.

One Case, Every Claim, Fully Tracked

Instead of a single set of dates bolted onto a case, every case can now hold multiple distinct claims, each with its own type (Original Compensation, Increase, Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, Notice of Disagreement, Board Appeal, and more), its own status, its own filing date, and its own timeline of events and conditions. You can add claims manually in seconds, or let VCH build them for you automatically, as described below.

Each claim keeps a running timeline of the events that matter: when it was filed, when a rating decision came back, when a Statement of the Case was issued, and what the outcome was for each condition rated. It’s the same level of detail you’d track by hand, just organized and searchable in one place.

If you already had cases in VCH before today, you don’t need to re-enter anything. Any existing Latest Rating Decision and Intent to File dates were automatically migrated into the new claims tracking system, so your existing deadlines carried over without any manual work on your end.

And of course, you’re never locked into what was imported or migrated. Every claim can be added, edited, or corrected by hand at any time, so if a date needs adjusting or you’d rather build a claim’s history yourself from scratch, that’s just as easy as letting VCH do it automatically.

Claims, Imported Straight From the C-File

This is the part we’re most excited about. VCH’s AI-powered C-File analysis can now read an uploaded C-File and automatically extract every claim it finds, including filing dates, rating decisions, appeals, and outcomes, and turn them directly into structured, trackable claims on the case.

No more manually re-typing dates out of a 500-page PDF. Just check a single box, “Import Claims,” before running the analysis on your uploaded C-File. When the analysis finishes, VCH automatically builds out the claim history it found, including original claims, supplemental claims, appeals, and decisions, and populates them right into the Claims tab, ready to review.

It’s the fastest way to get a veteran’s entire claim history into the system accurately, without the manual data entry.

Claim Dates, Front and Center on the Calendar

Every important date tied to a claim, whether it’s a projected decision, an appeal deadline, or a one-year window to act, now shows up automatically on your firm’s calendar. Because tracking now happens at the claim level instead of just the case level, the calendar gives you a true picture of everything in motion: a case with three overlapping claims shows three sets of deadlines, not one blended (and easy-to-miss) date.

Weekly Email Alerts, So Deadlines Find You

Claim deadlines don’t just sit on a calendar waiting to be checked. VCH’s weekly email digest surfaces upcoming claim dates directly in your inbox, so your team gets a heads-up before a deadline arrives, not after. If a particular claim doesn’t need alerts (say, it’s already fully resolved), you can disable notifications for that claim individually, without turning off tracking for the rest of the case.

Why This Matters

VA disability claims move on strict timelines, and veterans with multiple concurrent claims are exactly the cases where deadlines are easiest to lose track of. Multi-claim tracking is built to close that gap:

• Accurate history, automatically: claims imported directly from the C-File, not retyped by hand.
• Nothing hidden: every claim’s deadlines are visible on the calendar, regardless of its individual settings.
• Proactive, not reactive: weekly email alerts mean your team hears about a deadline before it’s urgent.

Multi-claim tracking is live now for all VCH accounts. Head to any case’s Claims tab to add a claim manually, or upload a C-File and check “Import Claims” to let VCH do the work for you.

Questions about the new Claims feature? Reach out to our support team at support@vaclaimhelper.com. We’re happy to walk through it with you.

Introducing Dropbox: A Secure, Self-Service Way for Clients to Get Their Documents

If you’ve ever emailed a veteran their C&P exam results, a decision letter, or a signed fee agreement, you already know the problem: once that email is sent, it’s gone. It sits in an inbox forever, you can’t revoke it if you sent the wrong version, and if the client’s account ever gets compromised, so does everything you ever sent them.

Dropbox is a new feature in VCH that fixes this. It gives every firm a permanent, secure, self-service page where your clients can verify who they are and download exactly the documents you’ve chosen to share with them: nothing more, nothing less.

How it works for your clients

Every firm gets one durable link:

vaclaimhelper.com/vch/dropbox/{your-firm-id}

You can post this link anywhere: your website, your email signature, a text message, an intake packet. It never expires and never changes, so you only have to share it once.

When a veteran or claimant visits the link, they’ll see your firm’s logo and branding, and a short form asking for:

• First and last name
• Date of birth
• The last 4 digits of their Social Security number

That’s it. No account, no password to remember, no app to install. After a quick spam check (the same kind of “I’m not a robot” challenge you’ve seen on other sites), they’re shown a list of exactly the documents you’ve flagged for them, ready to download.

How it works for you

Flagging a document takes one click. From any case’s Documents tab, you’ll see a new Dropbox column. Check the box next to any document and it’s instantly available on that client’s Dropbox page. Uncheck it, and it’s gone. There’s also a Copy Dropbox Link button right there so you can grab your firm’s link without hunting for it.

That’s the entire workflow. No separate upload step, no re-sending. If a document is already in the case, flagging it for Dropbox takes seconds.

Why this is more secure than email

We built Dropbox around a simple principle: the link itself isn’t a secret, so the real protection has to come from verifying the person, not from hiding the URL.

• Identity verification: name, date of birth, and last-4 SSN together are checked against your firm’s actual case records before anyone sees a document list.
• Automatic lockout: five incorrect attempts locks that person out of Dropbox entirely. You’ll see it under Admin → Dropbox Lockouts, along with a one-click Unlock button once you’ve confirmed with your client who they are.
• Short sessions: access expires automatically after 25 minutes of inactivity, so a shared or public computer doesn’t leave the door open behind them.
• Nothing lingers: downloads are served through short-lived links that expire within minutes, rather than a permanent file sitting in an inbox forever. If you unflag a document, it disappears immediately, even if someone had the page open.

None of this requires anything from you or your client beyond the four pieces of information above. The security happens automatically, behind the scenes.

Getting started

Dropbox is live on your account already. There’s nothing to turn on. Grab your firm’s link from the Copy Dropbox Link button on any case’s Documents tab, flag a document, and it’s ready to share.

Questions? Reach out to VCH support (support@vaclaimhelper.com) and we’ll help you get the most out of it.

After running AI analysis on a C-File, VCH can identify potentially reviewable issues and help prefill the
20-0996 with relevant decision information. Instead of starting from a blank form, you can use the AI results
as a starting point and generate a draft Higher-Level Review request faster.

This is especially useful when reviewing prior VA decisions, claimed conditions, ratings, denial language,
and effective dates across a long claims history. VCH helps surface the information from the C-File so you
can focus on reviewing strategy, accuracy, and what should actually be submitted.

Try it on your next case: run your AI C-File analysis, head to Generate Form, and select 20-0996.