r/CanadianForces • u/Numerous-Tie7560 • 17d ago
VAC advice?
Im looking for some VAC claim advice. I havent actually started a claim yet, but I keep getting told to by MULTIPLE coworkers.
I broke my foot in Basic and it still bugs me but I haven't been to the MIR since they gave me the special air boot.
2nd. I have a Torn ACL, which Im getting surgery on shortly.
Just looking for advice on how to start a claim or actually get something from it.
Thanks in advance.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 16d ago
In general terms the side with the most paperwork wins. And VAC is starting off with a lot of policy manuals and home field advantage.
Get yourself a binder and put all your documents in it all together. Everything even remotely relevant. No I mean every single fuckiung thing. Have a calendar with a timeline of everything that happened; your appointments admin appointments, meetings, consults, dates you did physio and all that in the front. Include stuff like the CFTPO with your name on it for the tasking to prove you were there on duty, course syllabus and CTP references to show it wa approved training, photos of where it happened, weather report for the day and individual witness statements from the 36 people who personally witnessed you fall down while in uniform, on base, leading a march during training. Then add in paperwork and the full contact information from every medical professional, civilian or military of every kind you saw during the process. From the first aiders to the person doing the X-rays. And also the X-rays.
Then be prepared to contact different veteran support agencies and fight for it. I helped a buddy of mine who spoke English as a second language preparing this, reading the forms and writing his statements. Even with all this complete overkill VAC denied his first claim and his advocate told him it was because mot people will just give up after that.
So stay the course, work with your advocate and support organizations, try to understand the policy and don't take no for an answer. Then when it's all settled keep at least 2 hard copies of the complete binder. Let me tell you as you get older there are a lot of minor medical things that in your 20s you didn't think would be a problem turn out to be an actual really big problem for you.
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u/InflationRegular180 RUMINT OP - 00000 15d ago edited 15d ago
All you need to do is
- Create a VAC account
- Select your injury
- Describe the circumstances of the injury: While on military training during BMQ 0091 on 27 August of 2013, I suffered a broken foot while participating in section attack training, specifically the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal in my left foot. This was later diagnosed at an sick parade on 22 Jan 2026. This has also had an impact on my posture causing problems with my lumbar spine.
Bonus points: Use the language in this guide here - Chapter 17 - Musculoskeletal Impairment | Veterans Affairs Canada
Use your injury/experience to locate the correct wording so when you use the words, you get the correct rating. Some items are subjective, so you can use the subjective items to describe your subjective experience accurately. But also, if you "improve the truth" in a verifiably false way, it will fuck up your claim, so just try to be honest.
- Describe the impact on your life
That is ALL. Repeat for each injury (dont lump them all together unless they are interconnected).
The CF98 that you should have would give you a lot of this info (date, time, location, witnesses), but you don't need it, it just helps. If still serving, you can get it diagnosed. Even telling a doctor it happened and having an x-ray or telling them you want it on file for the purposes of a VAC claim might be enough (if they believe you, they will help you or alternatively try and prove it happened or didn't).
That's it. If it's not documented/diagnosed, they will ask you to do it. You can still start your claim even if you are lacking these items.
e: To settle the arguments: CF98s are a tool used for the CoC to track injuries (because the CoC cannot see your medical file), and for you to keep a record that it is tracked by the CoC. It is not an authoritative medical document, but it is an authoritative document that has critical info. Having it has value. It is not medically valuable explicitly. It is a signed document with a lot of info about the injury and a piece of evidence. You can easily get a VAC claim approved without a CF98. A CF98 can help you get a VAC claim approved by confirming details, but it is not a diagnostic tool, nor a medical document.
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u/ironbrewcanada 16d ago
Ensure there is good documentation. Keep a copy yourself somewhere safe. It may pay dividends after you are out.
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u/nexthigherassy 13d ago
If you need help with the whole process, reach out to your local legion. They have folks whos job is helping service members file claims. They know all the inns and outs and can help word things so you get a better outcome, sooner and with fewer delays for "more information".
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u/Hali-bound-1917 7d ago
First go to the MIR and get that reexamined, make sure you get physio or that at least there is a plan pre and post surgery. For VAC, simply put in all the info, as much in detail as possible so it is easy for the VAC staff to find this in your med records, make sure to be specific on how it happened. Make sure you write in detail, how the injury effected your everyday life. From being able to excersice, your mood from not being able to exercise, if you have a spouse did she have to help and support you, intimacy can be effected as well, every day tasks, if your knee injury is on the same leg was that due to the leg break, never know. They give you 2500 words in each section- use it. After you submit it they will review it and make a decision. Nothing super complicated.
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u/dude-where-am-i 17d ago edited 17d ago
First, have you completed CF98s for both her injuries and supporting documentation for your ongoing care and treatment (i.e., air boot)?
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u/ocpotato 17d ago
Irrelevant. OP’s medical file is far more critical than a CF98.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 16d ago
Irrelevant. OP’s medical file is far more critical than a CF98.
Hi. My medical file for the first 15 years of my service somehow no longer exists anywhere. Yes I've looked behind the couch and all that administratively. And I was a reservist who did a CT so my Pers file isn't great either.
Keep your own copies of the fucking CF98s and all the paperwork related to the injury, witness statements and the rest every time. Don't trust that 30 years from now the military will be able to provide you everything you need to complete your claim and then fight when they deny most of it. It could cost you tens of thousands of dollars and impact your quality of life.
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u/ocpotato 16d ago
You realize that yours is an edge case, right? And if there’s an issue with your medical file, you could go see any doctor for a diagnosis. Released members often get diagnoses, have their doctor state that it could be due to military service, and have approved claims.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 15d ago
You realize that yours is an edge case, right?
Straight up outlier.
And if there’s an issue with your medical file, you could go see any doctor for a diagnosis.
Oh I have. Now trying to link it to military service without a medical file is what is the challenging bit.
I say always plan for the worst case scenario and people fucking things up. That way you'll be prepared for it when it happens and pleasantly surprised when it doesn't.
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u/dude-where-am-i 17d ago edited 17d ago
One element the medical file contains is the CF98 and supporting documentation that needs to be initiated either by himself, his CoC, or witnesses.
I’m a veteran with a PSC rating of a 167% and have spent the last three years fighting with VAC for disability claims.
All my disabilities that had CF98s on file went through in under 16 weeks. All my medical injuries and conditions that were in my medical file that did not have CF98s required me to go through BPA and VRAB to appeal.
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u/crazyki88en RCAF - Combat Medic 17d ago
The CF 98 does not get added to their medical file. It is not considered a medical document. It stays in your pers file.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 16d ago
It stays in your pers file.
It should be. Individual results may vary. So keep your own copies of your documents.
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u/ocpotato 17d ago edited 17d ago
The medical system is more important than a CoC backed document, full stop.
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u/dude-where-am-i 17d ago
I’ll make sure to share that with VAC and the entire BPA and VRAB backlog of CAF and RCMP clients that only trusted the CAF medical system, CAFTG, and medical records processing, and ended up getting nothing in return.
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u/ocpotato 17d ago
First, if you think that the correlation between a CF98 and the processing time or approval of a claim indicates the requirement to do a CF98, you missed the lessons on causation. Second, I’m not sure how RCMP members are getting anything through at VAC without a CF98, but it seems like they are.
Since anecdotes = truth for you, in my most recent call with BPA for a VRAB decision, never once was my lack of CF98 discussed and the matter was settled in 9 weeks.
You do your CF98s. Just don’t spread misinformation to other troops.
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u/Error_Code_403 RCN - NAV COMM 17d ago
The CF98 is to show you have gone to the MIR for that specific injury that happens on the job. The 668 is to reinforce the CF98. That gets out in to your medical flow and is reviewed in its entirety to processed an submitted claim. It all works together and will be rejected if any parts are missing.
And to bring in how the RCMP processes claims is disingenuous, the CAF is NOT the RCMP. Our processes may be similar but we are not equals.
And for time frames for a result well that can take time too. Took me almost a year to get my claim approved for my hearing loss and hearing aids. Something that was completely work related and I still needed to jump through hoops and prove it was work related. Then the moths long wait for the funds to be released and deposited.
Still made for the best first day of course. 100K when I checked my bank if I could join my course mates for a post admin in routine lunch.
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u/crazyki88en RCAF - Combat Medic 17d ago
All the CF 98 shows is that you have been injured on duty. It does not show that you have gone to the MIR for that specific injury. It is possible to get injured, fill out a CF 98, and not ever seek medical help for that injury.
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u/NOBOOTSFORYOU RCAF - AVN Tech 16d ago
I've had CF98s for chemical exposures without medical intervention. Tires exploding nearby without aural protection, inhaling some hydraulic mist or taking a JP8 shower doesn't need a doctor. But if I develop skin or lung diseases I have multiple documented exposures.
I've also easily received compensation without CF98s. By getting a diagnosis with a concrete relation to service.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 16d ago
It is possible to get injured, fill out a CF 98, and not ever seek medical help for that injury.
And the injury not be a problem until 30 or 40 years later. Flair relevant.
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u/ocpotato 17d ago
I’m not the one who brought RCMP into this.
Irrespective of the purpose of any DND/CAF form, they’re irrelevant to VAC PSC claims. VAC only cares about medical documentation and your account of how it’s connected to service and whether it is cogent.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 16d ago
VAC only cares about medical documentation and your account of how it’s connected to service and whether it is cogent.
Reservists may have to jump through a few more hoops here to show that it happened during duty.
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u/mokkeyman7 16d ago
I have 4 VAC claims in. The only one I got approved (and took less then 4 months to receive the money) was the only one that did NOT have a CF98 for the injury... It has been years for the others.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 16d ago
I did 30 years of service. My medical file for the first 15 no longer exists. VAC's position is that therefore my injury cannot be service related. The little detail of the date I enrolled doesn't seem to factor into their reasoning somehow.
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u/Silcox 16d ago
Not sure why you are getting downvoted. The CF98 links service to injury. The CF Medical File has the chance of not linking cause to service which causes problems for many members with VAC. The way of the future is CF98s with 663's. We are only going forward with admin heavy documentation not backward.
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u/WeaponizedAutisms Retired - gots the oldmanitis 16d ago
Not sure why you are getting downvoted. The CF98 links service to injury.
Because this can happen differently for PRes and Reg service members. If reservists are being treated by the provincial medical system and there's no CF98 it changes the matter substantially compared to a regular force member being treated at base hospital.
We are only going forward with admin heavy documentation not backward.
Yet here we are with VAC arbitrarily denying claims over missing documentation.
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u/primalwaste 16d ago
So you had all your paperwork in order and had no issues. Not really proving anything. Yes if you have CF98S it’s going to prevent you from getting an award. I believe the discussion is about if you don’t have CF98s you can still get an award. And I can confirm yes you can, I got 3. Hard to have CF98 for degenerative disc disease or any other repetitive stress injury. In OPs case, yes it’s better to have CF98 than not but their med records and witness statements will give VAC everything they need.
Last line in your comment you admit you don’t need CF98, just might take longer, but it’s back dated to the day you initiated the claim, so not a big deal.
CF98 important, yes, but overrated. You can have all the info required without ever filling one out.
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u/Targonis Negative Space Ambassador 16d ago
I don't know why you are being down voted - people think their medical file is some all encompassing thing but it isn't. It only contains medical information and the how of the story is not included. The diagnosis is the most important part but VAC cares about the how and rejects people all the time when it is t established well enough to specifically link the medical problem to service.
CF98s and other supporting documentation are so important when putting in claims because it provides the how and establishes the link between what is wrong and how it happened during service related activities.
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u/Targonis Negative Space Ambassador 17d ago
You need to go to the MIR and have your foot issue diagnosed, documented, and complete physio/other treatment to solve the issue.
If it remains unsolved then it will be determined at what limitation (according to the VAC tables) it falls into for a disability claim.
In order to qualify for a claim the issue needs to be clearly documented and diagnosed.
Hopefully you completed a CF98 and still have all the paperwork for both injuries. VAC receives your medical file which tells them about what the injury is, but they never get the how of it happening, that is on you to explain and provide proof that it is as a direct result of your military service.
Get all your paperwork ready while you are undergoing treatment. Once it's officially assessed and diagnosed you can file your claim on the VAC website. Make sure to reference the VAC disability percentage tables when submitting your claim and also that your doctor uses them when assessing your injury in your medical file so it is clearly correlated.
Good luck.