Ranking Member Takano Condemns New VA Rule Changing Veteran Disability Rating Evaluation

WASHINGTON—Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano released the following statement expressing his concerns with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) interim final rule, which immediately changes how veteran disability ratings are evaluated. Before this change, VA could not reduce ratings based on the effects of medication when evaluating a service-connected disability, requiring evaluation of a veteran’s true functional impairment. This new VA rule changes that standard, stating that “veterans should be compensated for the actual level of functional impairment they experience” and essentially directing examiners to disregard unmedicated baseline severity.

“VA is once again leaving the veterans’ community out of a critical decision-making process and ignoring judicial precedent as it takes steps to scale back veterans’ benefits. This rule change penalizes veterans for taking medications to address their conditions and symptoms, putting veterans in a place of deciding between managing their health and receiving their full benefits,” said Ranking Member Takano. “Veterans earned their benefits through their invaluable service, and VA should never stand in the way of veterans receiving them. I urge Secretary Collins to listen to their objections and reverse this harmful decision.”

Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) have also expressed their concerns.

“As a former Army nurse, it seems this rule change could have unforeseen and harmful downstream effects for veterans, which is why it demands serious public scrutiny and possible legislative clarification from Capitol Hill,” said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore. “While VA has authority to amend the rating schedule, it must do so without adversely affecting veterans, which is why we invite dialogue with Secretary Collins and his team to ensure we are crafting benefits policy in a way that honors the sacrifices of our veterans and protects their earned benefits.”

“DAV is extremely disappointed and alarmed by VA’s decision to issue an Interim Final Rule today that could potentially reduce disability compensation for millions of disabled veterans. The new regulation would allow VA to reduce disability compensation ratings for veterans who take medications to control their conditions or reduce their symptoms,” said Disabled American Veterans National Commander Coleman Nee. “The rule—which disregards clear decisions from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Jones v. Shinseki, 26 Vet. App. 56 (2012) & Ingram v. Collins, 38 Vet. App. 130 (2025)—was developed and issued in a closed and unnecessarily expedited process that effectively shut out veterans from providing any meaningful input. It is unclear if and how VA is implementing this dramatic change and how it will impact the more than 6 million veterans currently receiving disability compensation, most of whom are taking at least one medication.”

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