The VA has made revisions to its Schedule for Rating Disabilities, VASRD, which addresses digestive disorders.
In order to more fairly compensate Veterans, the modifications add or alter rating criteria for 55 medical conditions in the rating schedule. These modifications take into account advances in medicine for treating specific disabilities as well as current medical knowledge.
New evaluations for hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease are the three main changes that will affect Veterans.
Starting on May 19, the rating criteria for celiac disease — an autoimmune disorder that affects the body’s processing of gluten — will be tailored to particularly address the debilitating symptoms of the condition. Previously, Veterans with this condition were awarded service connection and assessed using an analog rating system with a zero to 30 percent range. Veterans can now receive an evaluation with a score between zero and 80 percent under a specific diagnostic code.
The rating standards for assessing irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, will also be modified by VA. In the past, the VA provided evaluations for the condition at zero, 10, and 30 percent. Based on the frequency of symptoms, Veterans may be eligible for 10, 20, or 30 percent evaluations under the new criteria; therefore, the new rating standards will always provide a compensable evaluation.
The VA modifications addresses internal and external hemorrhoids as well. When a condition was determined to be mild or moderate, the VA would award a zero percent evaluation. For findings that were more serious, a 10 or 20 percent evaluation was awarded. However, mild to moderate hemorrhoids will now be eligible for the 10 percent evaluation due to the new rating criteria stated in the rating schedule.
“These are just a few of the changes being made to how conditions of the digestive system are rated based on updated medical information,” Under Secretary for Benefits Josh Jacobs stated. “The updates will bring the rating criteria more closely in line with the stated purpose of the rating schedule, which is to provide evaluations based upon average impairment of earning capacity for each and every Veteran.”
These modifications alone will not result in any change to a Veteran’s current rating. Applying for increased compensation rate is possible if a Veteran presently gets compensation for a condition related to their service. Evaluation will only be reduced if a disability has improved to the point where it would have been under the previous criterion. All claims pertaining to these body systems that were not yet resolved on May 19 will be evaluated using both the old and new rating standards; the Veteran will benefit from the application of the criteria that is more beneficial to them.
Visit the VA website to apply or for more information, as well as a complete list of the conditions affected by this rating schedule modification and VA benefits.
The VA has also revised the rating schedule for the following bodily systems since September 2017: oral and dental; endocrine; breast and gynecological conditions; sensory organs, such as eye problems; Epidermis; lymphatic and hematologic systems; immune system problems, dietary deficits, and infectious illnesses; injury to the musculoskeletal system and muscles; and cardiovascular and genitourinary systems.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
