QTC, VES, and Optum Exams: Same VA Rules, Different Letterhead

Who they are, and who they are not

VA uses Medical Disability Examination contractors so it can schedule exams closer to where people live. VA's claim-exam page says contractors follow the same medical training and licensing standards as VA providers, and the same privacy rules. You cannot request a specific contractor. VA's contractor page says assignment is based on location and availability, and that the list is not an endorsement.

Current names, as VA published them:

• Loyal Source Government Services (LSGS). Caller ID: "VA Exam - Loyal Source" on VA.gov, "Loyal Source" on the contractor page.
• OptumServe Health Services (OSHS). Caller ID: "VA EXAM - Optum" or "VA EXAM-Optum."
• Leidos QTC Health Services (QTC). Caller ID: "VA EXAM-QTC."
• Veterans Evaluation Services (VES). Caller ID: "VA EXAM-VES."

Older appointment letters and veteran-to-veteran shorthand still say LHI. Treat that as history on the letterhead. Current VA.gov language is OptumServe. If your letter says LHI, QTC, VES, Optum, or Loyal Source, you are still in the same program.

They are not the rater. They do not issue the decision letter. They do not set the percentage. VA.gov says the provider writes an exam report and sends it to VA. VA reviews that report with the rest of the file and then decides the claim.

The actual rule

The legal exam is a VA examination. 38 CFR § 3.326(a) authorizes it when the medical evidence is not adequate for rating. 38 CFR § 3.159(c)(4) is the duty-to-assist version of the same idea. The contractor is how VA staffs that exam. The regulation does not create a second, weaker standard for QTC paper.

Adequacy is still § 4.2. If the diagnosis is not supported by the findings, or the report lacks sufficient detail, the rating board returns it. Joint exams still have to portray functional loss under 38 CFR § 4.40, the joint factors in § 4.45, and painful motion testing in § 4.59. A VES logo does not erase a blank ROM field.

Failure to report is still 38 CFR § 3.655. A contractor no-show is a VA no-show.

VA.gov adds the scheduling rules VA is telling the public right now. Confirm the appointment. If you need to reschedule, tell the VA medical center or contractor at least 48 hours in advance. For a contractor exam, VA says you can only reschedule once per exam, and the new appointment must be within 5 days of the original. If you are not available in those 5 days, tell the contractor and call VA to restart scheduling when you are available. Rescheduling may delay the claim.

Contractors try to schedule within 50 miles of home, or 100 miles for a specialist exam (dental, eye, hearing, mental health). VA says it will ask permission before scheduling farther than that.

Travel pay for a contractor exam is paid by the contractor, not by the VA medical center travel office. VA.gov says to call the contractor if you do not get a travel payment within 14 days after the appointment. Active-duty service members and people living outside the U.S. or U.S. territories are not eligible for that travel reimbursement, per the same page.

How to identify the vendor on the letter

The appointment letter is the source of truth. It should name the contractor, the clinic address or telehealth instructions, the date and time, and a phone number.

Match the caller ID to the letter. VA publishes the display names above. VA's contractor page also lists these numbers as of its June 21, 2025 update:

• Loyal Source Government Services: 833-832-7077
• OptumServe Health Services: 866-933-8387 (TTY 711)
• Leidos QTC Health Services: 800-682-9701
• Veterans Evaluation Services: 877-637-8387
• VES outside the continental U.S.: +1-713-255-5656

VA.gov also says you can call VA at 1-800-827-1000 if you need to confirm that an exam was actually ordered. Contractors may ask for identifying information. VA calls that a standard security step.

You may get an email from govDelivery before the contractor calls. That email is VA telling you a contractor will contact you. It is not the appointment itself. Confirm on the letter or the call.

What to look at after the exam

The report still goes to VA. You still request a copy with VA Form 20-10206 if you want to read it before or after the decision. See the PTSD DBQ article for that request path.

Read the report the same way you would read a VAMC exam. Missing measurements and a missing rationale are § 4.2 problems, not "contractor problems." If the report is thin, ask VA to return it. The inadequate-exam article in this batch is the process piece.

If the appointment itself went badly, VA.gov lists the channels: the contractor's customer satisfaction survey, a letter in the claim file, a call to the contractor, a call to 1-800-827-1000, or the local regional office. A complaint about courtesy is not the same as an adequacy argument. You can do both.

Mistakes to avoid

Ignoring a contractor letter because it is not on VA letterhead. If VA ordered the exam, it counts.

Ghosting the exam because you dislike the vendor. § 3.655 does not grade letterhead.

Trying to pick QTC over VES. VA said you cannot request a specific contractor.

Giving up after one reschedule. VA's current rule is one contractor reschedule, within 5 days, then call VA if that window does not work.

Assuming a contractor exam is automatically weaker or stronger. Weight is in § 4.6. Completeness matters. The logo does not.

FAQ

Is a QTC or VES exam a real C&P?

Yes. It is a VA claim exam performed by a contractor. The report goes to VA. VA.gov.

Can I refuse a contractor and demand a VA hospital?

VA assigns the exam based on location and availability. You cannot request a specific contractor. If you have a documented need for a different setting, call the number on the letter and VA at 1-800-827-1000. That is a logistics request, not a legal right I can invent here.

Who do I call to reschedule?

The number on the appointment letter. VA.gov says at least 48 hours in advance. Contractor exams: one reschedule, within 5 days of the original date.

Does the contractor decide my rating?

No. The provider writes a report. VA rates the claim.

Are contractor exams held to a lower adequacy standard?

No. § 4.2 applies to the report, not the letterhead.

Primary sources

• VA claim exam (C&P exam) (last updated August 15, 2025)
• Claim exam information (last updated June 21, 2025)
• 38 CFR § 3.159
• 38 CFR § 3.326
• 38 CFR § 3.655
• 38 CFR § 4.2
• 38 CFR § 4.6
• VA Form 20-10206

Educational only. Not legal or medical advice. Confirm against the veteran's actual notice and current eCFR / VA.gov. For claim-specific help, use a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, or attorney.