M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual

The M21-1 Manual contains features designed to assist Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) staff and other users.

The Manual frequently references statutes, regulations, and case law relevant to the particular policy or procedure discussed therein.

[1] Beginning in 2015 the agency transferred the Manual from the WARMS (Web Automated Reference Material System) platform[2][a] to their KnowVA Knowledge Base.

2017)] erroneous mutual exclusivity theory survives, DVA [Department of Veterans Affairs] can insulate substantive rules and generally applicable policy statements and interpretations, and avoid pre-enforcement judicial review, simply by promulgating them through the Manual.

In February 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VAOIG) issued an audit report titled, Telehealth Public-Use Questionnaires Were Used Improperly to Determine Disability Benefits, which critiqued VBA's enforcement of telehealth examinations for mental disorders.