TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has rescinded a controversial rule that would have changed how disability ratings are determined for veterans, following intense national backlash from veterans groups and advocates.
What You Need To Know
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rescinded a rule considering medication effectiveness in disability ratings
Critics said it could reduce compensation for veterans with managed symptoms
National veterans groups opposed the change, leading to its reversal
The rule briefly took effect Tuesday and required VA examiners to consider how much a veteran’s condition improved with medication when assigning disability ratings. Critics argued that could have led to reduced compensation for veterans whose symptoms were managed by medication — even if the underlying injury or illness remained serious.
For many veterans, that raised concerns about how invisible injuries, particularly mental health conditions and traumatic brain injuries, would be evaluated.
Felicia Pecora, who served in the Army Reserve from 1992 to 2000 and deployed to Haiti and Bosnia, said stabilizing symptoms with medication does not mean the injury is gone.
“Just because you are stabilized — let’s say medication has stabilized you for a period of time — doesn’t mean you won’t need more later,” Pecora said. “It doesn’t mean your brain isn’t changing. It doesn’t always show up like a traumatic brain injury where you can see it in an MRI. It’s showing up in behavior.”
She said the rule felt like it minimized the long-term impact of service-related injuries.
National veterans organizations quickly criticized the policy.
In a statement, Carol Whitmore, National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, warned the rule “could have unforeseen and harmful downstream effects for veterans,” and called for serious public scrutiny.
Some advocacy groups said the change could potentially affect millions of disabled veterans nationwide by lowering disability ratings — and in turn, compensation.
Recent court rulings had directed the VA to base disability ratings on the severity of a veteran’s condition. Critics argued that the new rule conflicted with those decisions.
The backlash escalated quickly. A Vietnam veteran joined forces with several law firms to petition the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to review the regulation.
However, that legal challenge may no longer be necessary.
Just two days after the rule took effect, VA Secretary Doug Collins announced the department would halt enforcement.
In a statement, the VA said, “While VA does not agree with the way this rule has been characterized, the department always takes veterans’ concerns seriously.”
The decision was met with relief from veterans and advocacy groups who had mobilized quickly to oppose the change.
For Pecora, the reversal reinforces the importance of collective action.
“We owe the families and that veteran to take care of them because we broke them,” she said. “It’s not right to turn our backs for a cost-saving way to wash our hands of the whole thing.”
Advocates say the episode highlights the need for continued oversight to ensure disability ratings fully reflect the long-term impact of military service.