C-file

A C-file, short for claims file, is the VA's record of a veteran's benefits claims. It holds the claim applications and supporting forms, the evidence the VA received or obtained, examination reports, correspondence with the veteran, and every decision the VA issued on the claim. The name comes from the original paper claims folder. Claims records are now maintained electronically, in what the VA calls the eFolder.

A C-file is not a medical record. Medical records are clinical documents created by providers during care and held by those providers. A C-file holds copies of whichever clinical records actually reached the VA for a claim, and it also holds the VA's own decisional documents, which no medical record contains. A record can be complete at a clinic and absent from the C-file, because a record enters the file only when it is submitted or requested.

Veterans request a copy on VA Form 20-10206, the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request form. A VA-accredited representative or VSO appointed by the veteran can also access the eFolder directly, and representation through a recognized VSO is free.