Looking for Expert-Level VA Claim Help?📱Call Us Now! 737-295-2226
Today, we’ll explore the definition and purpose of a TERA VA medical opinion.
TERA stands for “Toxic Exposure Risk Activity,” and is commonly associated with PACT Act-related claims for service connection and service-connected death.
Part of VA’s duty to assist veterans in supporting their claims includes obtaining exams and opinions for conditions due to “TERA participation” when the evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for the claimed disability, even if the Veteran did not specifically claim it that way.
Translation: a TERA medical opinion is a request for a specialty C&P exam related to a claimant’s possible participation in a toxic exposure risk activity for PACT Act related claims.
In a non-presumptive claim, if the veteran participated in a TERA event, then an exam and medical opinion will be warranted.
What is a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA)?
The VA defines a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA) as exposure to any of the following hazards during military service:
- Herbicide Agent – 2,3,7,8 – Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD)
- Radiation – Ionizing
- Mustard Gas – Nitrogen, Sulfur Mustard, or Lewisite
- Camp Lejeune Water Contamination – Perchloroethylene (PCE), Trichloroethylene (TCE), Vinyl Chloride, Benzene
- Burn Pits
Note: The VSR and RVSR will prepare memorandum related to a veteran’s presumption of exposure(s) for one or more of the above hazards during military service.
A specialty C&P exam called a “Request for TERA Medical Opinion” is often ordered to confirm a veteran’s exposure to a TERA event.
What is the TERA VA Flowchart for Presumptive Disability?
The VSR and RVSR follow the flowchart below for determining when TERA is applicable to the claimed issue in disability compensation claims:
What are the Exceptions to a TERA Examination?
38 U.S.C. § 1168(b) provides that TERA examination requirements do not apply if the Secretary determines there is no indication of an association between the disability claimed by the Veteran and participation in the TERA.
Review the job aid below for situations in which TERA examination requirements may or may not apply:
VA TERA Opinion Conclusion
A VA TERA opinion is a request for a specialty C&P exam related to a veteran’s possible participation in a toxic exposure risk activity for PACT Act related claims and benefits.
In a non-presumptive claim, if the veteran participated in a TERA event, then a TERA exam and associated medical opinion will be ordered by the VSR or RVSR.
About the Author
Brian Reese
Brian Reese is a world-renowned VA disability benefits expert and the #1 bestselling author of VA Claim Secrets and You Deserve It. Motivated by his own frustration with the VA claim process, Brian founded VA Claims Insider to help disabled veterans secure their VA disability compensation faster, regardless of their past struggles with the VA. Since 2013, he has positively impacted the lives of over 10 million military, veterans, and their families.
A former active-duty Air Force officer, Brian has extensive experience leading diverse teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, where he was a National Honor Scholar, ranking in the top 1% of his class.
