Three appeal lanes under the AMA: (1) Supplemental Claim — new evidence, fastest. (2) Higher-Level Review — same evidence, senior reviewer. (3) Board Appeal — judge review, slowest. ONE YEAR deadline from decision date for any lane.
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AMA appeals overview
The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) took effect February 19, 2019 and replaced the old, slow legacy appeals system. It created three parallel review lanes. You have ONE YEAR from any unfavorable VA decision to choose one. Picking the right lane matters.
Deadline. The one-year deadline is firm. Miss it and the decision becomes final. Filing an ITF does NOT preserve appeal rights — you must actually file the appeal form (20-0995, 20-0996, or 10182) within 365 days of the decision date.
Decision tree
- Have new evidence to submit? → Supplemental Claim (lane 1) (Form 20-0995)
- No new evidence, but VA misapplied the law? → Higher-Level Review (lane 2) (Form 20-0996)
- Want a Board judge to review? → Board Appeal (lane 3) (Form 10182)
When in doubt
Most veterans should start with a Supplemental Claim if they have any new evidence at all — even just a new buddy statement. It’s the cheapest, fastest, and lowest-risk option.
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