## Section C. Protected Ratings

#### Overview

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| #          | > This section contains the following topics:           |
| #### In th |                                                         |
| is Section |                                                         |
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  ------------ ---------------------------------------------- ------------
  Topic        Topic Name                                     See Page

  8            Protected Evaluations Under 38 CFR 3.951 and   8-C-2
               38 CFR 3.952                                   

  9            Protected Service Connection Under 38 CFR      8-C-5
               3.957                                          

  10           Protected Pension Ratings Under 38 CFR         8-C-6
               3.951(b)                                       
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#### 8. Protected Evaluations Under 38 CFR 3.951 and 38 CFR 3.952

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| ##### In   | > This topic contains information about protected       |
| troduction | > evaluations, including                                |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   protection under 38 CFR 3.951 and 38 CFR 3.952      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   protection in the absence of a monetary award       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   when protection does not accrue                     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   protection resulting from retroactive increases     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   protected combined evaluations                      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   reduction and discontinuance under 38 CFR 3.552     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   protection against rating schedule changes          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   reviewing evaluations after a rating schedule       |
|            |     change, and                                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   loss of protection upon reentry into active         |
|            |     service.                                            |
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| ##### C    | > December 13, 2005                                     |
| hange Date |                                                         |
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| #####      | > Exercise care to avoid violation of the provisions of |
|  a. Protec | > 38 CFR 3.951 and 38 CFR 3.952 for compensation and    |
| tion Under | > pension disability benefits.                          |
|  38 CFR 3. | >                                                       |
| 951 and 38 | > Do not reduce an individual disability evaluation     |
|  CFR 3.952 | > that has been continuously rated at or above the      |
|            | > current level for 20 years or more except in the case |
|            | > of fraud per 38 CFR 3.951(b).                         |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > Measure the 20-year period of 38 CFR 3.951(b) from    |
|            | > the earliest effective date of the combined or        |
|            | > individual evaluations.                               |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Note***: For purposes of determining whether       |
|            | > benefits were received for a continuous period of 20  |
|            | > years, include periods during which recoupment or     |
|            | > deduction applied to an award.                        |
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| #####      | > The protective provisions of 38 U.S.C. 110 and 38 CFR |
|  b. Protec | > 3.951(b) do not require a concurrent award of         |
| tion in th | > monetary benefits.                                    |
| e Absence  | >                                                       |
| of a Monet | > An evaluation for compensation purposes that has been |
| ary Award  | > continuously in effect for 20 or more years is        |
|            | > protected whether or not the veteran elects to        |
|            | > receive the compensation.                             |
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Continued on next page

8\. Protected Evaluations Under 38 CFR 3.951 and 38 CFR 3.952, Continued

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| ##### c. W | > Under 38 U.S.C. 110 and 38 CFR 3.951(b), protection   |
| hen Protec | > does not accrue for                                   |
| tion Does  |                                                         |
| Not Accrue | -   a veteran who renounces entitlement to disability   |
|            |     benefits, or                                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   ratings for other than compensation purposes, such  |
|            |     as ancillary benefits.                              |
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| #####      | > If a retroactive increase under 38 CFR 3.105(a)       |
| d. Protect | > results in a veteran having been rated for 20 years   |
| ion Result | > or longer at a certain level, the evaluation is       |
| ing From R | > protected under 38 CFR 3.951(b) and may *not* be      |
| etroactive | > reduced in the absence of a showing of fraud.         |
|  Increases |                                                         |
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| ##### e.   | > Do *not* reduce benefits when a combined evaluation   |
| Protected  | > has been in effect for 20 years or more *except* in   |
| Combined E | > the case of fraud. Both the individual evaluations    |
| valuations | > and the combined evaluation are protected under 38    |
|            | > CFR 3.951(b), even if erroneously assigned.           |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Example***: No rating action is warranted to       |
|            | > reduce the erroneous 50-percent combined evaluation   |
|            | > to the proper 40-percent combined evaluation in a     |
|            | > case where                                            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   two compensable service-connected (SC) disabilities |
|            |     have been evaluated at 30-percent and 20-percent    |
|            |     disabling, respectively, and                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   an improperly assigned combined degree of 50        |
|            |     percent has been in effect for 20 or more years.    |
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| #####      | > Protection under the provisions of either 38 CFR      |
| f. Reducti | > 3.951 or 38 CFR 3.952 of a total rating or disability |
| on and Dis | > evaluation does not preclude reduction to a hospital  |
| continuanc | > rate under 38 CFR 3.552.                              |
| e Under 38 |                                                         |
|  CFR 3.552 |                                                         |
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Continued on next page

8\. Protected Evaluations Under 38 CFR 3.951 and 38 CFR 3.952, Continued

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| #          | > *Public Law (PL) 102-86* states that a rating         |
| #### g. Pr | > evaluation cannot be reduced solely because of a      |
| otection A | > change to the rating schedule subsequent to August    |
| gainst Rat | > 13, 1991.                                             |
| ing Schedu | >                                                       |
| le Changes | > However, 38 CFR 3.952 protects rating evaluations     |
|            | > under the 1925 rating schedule which were the basis   |
|            | > of compensation on April 1, 1946.                     |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Note***: Evaluations in effect when previous       |
|            | > changes to the 1945 rating schedule occurred are      |
|            | > *not* protected by *PL 102-86*.                       |
|            | >                                                       |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on the          |
|            | > preservation of disability evaluations after rating   |
|            | > schedule changes, see                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   38 CFR 3.951(a), and                                |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   38 U.S.C. 1155.                                     |
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| #          | > When reviewing a disability evaluation after a change |
| #### h. Re | > in the rating schedule, determine whether the current |
| viewing Ev | > evaluation would be continued or decreased under the  |
| aluations  | > prior schedule.                                       |
| After a Ra | >                                                       |
| ting Sched | > ***Note***: The disability evaluation cannot be       |
| ule Change | > reduced unless you can show the veteran's condition   |
|            | > improved enough to have warranted reduction under the |
|            | > prior schedule.                                       |
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| ##### i. E | > The statute prohibits payment of compensation for a   |
| ffect of R | > period in which an individual receives active service |
| eturn to A | > pay. Therefore, where compensation is discontinued    |
| ctive Duty | > following reentry into active service                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   continuity of the rating is interrupted for the     |
|            |     purposes of achieving the protection offered by 38  |
|            |     U.S.C. 110, and                                     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   the disability cannot be considered to have been    |
|            |     continuously rated during the period in which       |
|            |     compensation is discontinued.                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on the effects  |
|            | > of reentry in active duty on disability evaluations,  |
|            | > see VAOPGCREC 5-95.                                   |
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#### 9. Protected Service Connection Under 38 CFR 3.957

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| ##### In   | > This topic contains information about the protection  |
| troduction | > of service connection under 38 CFR 3.957, including   |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   protection under 38 CFR 3.957                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   the provisions of VAOPGCPREC 6-2002, and            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   determining the ten-year period.                    |
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| ##### C    | > December 13, 2005                                     |
| hange Date |                                                         |
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| ##### a.   | > Under 38 CFR 3.957, if service connection for         |
|  Protectio | > disability or cause of death has been in effect ten   |
| n Under 38 | > or more years, propose severance only if              |
|  CFR 3.957 |                                                         |
|            | -   the original grant was based on fraud, or           |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   it is clearly shown that the person concerned did   |
|            |     not have the requisite service or character of      |
|            |     discharge.                                          |
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| ##### b. P | > VAOPGCPREC 6-2002 held that                           |
| rovisions  |                                                         |
| of VAOPGCP | -   the restriction relating to severance includes      |
| REC 6-2002 |     awards where service connection was recently and    |
|            |     erroneously awarded, but with an effective date     |
|            |     more than ten years prior to the decision awarding  |
|            |     service connection, and                             |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   in the absence of the veteran's own willful         |
|            |     misconduct or abuse of alcohol or drugs, Department |
|            |     of Veterans Affairs (VA) must pay compensation      |
|            |     otherwise in order for a disability that was        |
|            |     erroneously established as service connected, where |
|            |     service connection is protected from severance.     |
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| ##### c. D | > Measure the ten-year period from the effective date   |
| etermining | > of service connection, *not* the date of the rating,  |
|  the Ten-Y | > to the effective date of the actual or prospective    |
| ear Period | > reduction.                                            |
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#### 10. Protected Pension Ratings Under 38 CFR 3.951(b)

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information about protected       |
| troduction | > pension entitlement, including                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   protection under 38 CFR 3.951(b), and               |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   limits of protection.                               |
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+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > December 13, 2005                                     |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #          | > Under 38 CFR 3.951(b), do not discontinue a rating of |
| #### a. Pr | > permanent total disability for pension purposes which |
| otection U | > has been in force for 20 or more years *except* in    |
| nder 38 CF | > the case of fraud.                                    |
| R 3.951(b) |                                                         |
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| ##### b.   | > The protection of pension entitlement under 38 CFR    |
| Limits of  | > 3.951(b) does not extend to Special Monthly Pension   |
| Protection | > (SMP).                                                |
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