More and more C&P exams are performed by private contractors, and some are conducted over video. The examiner may not work for the VA at all, and the exam may happen through a screen. Your rights do not change, but your preparation should.

What a remote exam can miss

A video exam cannot measure range of motion with a goniometer or perform hands-on orthopedic testing. If your claim depends on physical measurements and the exam was conducted remotely, that is a potential inadequacy worth flagging.

Make the record complete

A telehealth or contract exam is still a C&P exam, and the report goes into your file and gets read like any other. The VA still owes you an adequate exam under its duty to assist in 38 CFR §3.159(c)(4). The examiner sees less of you, so the file has to carry more. Your part: get the evidence in early and say out loud what the camera cannot show.

• Have your current records and imaging ready to reference
• Describe your symptoms and flare-ups in detail, the examiner cannot see what they do not ask about
• Note in writing anything the format prevented the examiner from assessing

A contract examiner who has never met you is relying on that one appointment and your file. Make sure both tell the whole truth.

The adequacy standard for C&P examinations is codified in M21-1, Part III, Subpart iv, Chapter 3 (Obtaining Medical Examinations and Medical Opinions), and the body-system-specific requirements in Chapter 4. When an examiner fails to address functional loss, skips required testing, or provides a "bare conclusion" without a rationale, the exam is legally inadequate under Barr v. Nicholson. Under Sharp v. Shulkin, an examiner who dismisses flare-up impact without a reasoned explanation has produced a deficient opinion. Under Correia v. McDonald, musculoskeletal exams must include active, passive, and weight-bearing versus non-weight-bearing testing, skip any one of those, and the exam is incomplete.