BDD and Quick Start (pre-discharge filing)

The Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program and Quick Start program allow you to FILE your disability claim BEFORE you separate from active duty, so VA can begin processing — including scheduling C&P exams — while you are still in uniform. The goal is to have a decision before you finish out-processing.

BDD Program

• File 180 to 90 days before your separation date.
• You must be available for VA exams before separation.
• Decision often issued within 30 days of discharge.
• Effective date is day after discharge, paid retroactively if approved.

Quick Start Program

• File 1 to 89 days before separation.
• Used when BDD isn’t an option (e.g., late awareness of the program).
• Decision timeline is longer than BDD but still expedited.

Pro tip

Even if you do not feel ready to claim everything, file what you have. You can always file additional claims later. The early effective date you lock in with a pre-discharge filing carries forward to all subsequent claims for those specific conditions.

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