A new Department of Veterans Affairs rule changing how disability ratings account for medication is drawing concern from some veterans and local advocates, including officials in Corpus Christi who are urging former service members to closely review the change.
The interim final rule, issued Feb. 17, amends section 4.10 of the VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities and instructs examiners to evaluate disabilities based on a veteran’s “actual” level of impairment, including the effects of medication or treatment.
The rule directly responds to a 2025 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Ingram v. Collins, which held that for certain conditions, the VA must estimate how severe a disability would be without medication if the relevant diagnostic code does not explicitly address treatment…