# Presentation: 493770

## VA Benefits in Brief

**Health Care**

**Disability**
**Compensation**

**Pension**

**Education &**
**Training**

**Home Loan**
**Guaranty**

**Life Insurance**

**Burial & Memorial**
**Benefits**

## VA Benefits in Brief

- Injuries/diseases incurred in, or aggravated by, military service
- Based on Average Impairment of Earning Capacity

**Service Connected Disability Compensation**

## VA Benefits in Brief

**Determining Degree of Disability**

- Schedule for Rating Disabilities - Statutory Authority in Title 38 USC § 1155
- Ten Grades of Disability ranging from 10% to 100%
- Monthly Rate of Payment for Veteran with no Dependents ranges from $117 to $2,527

**Notes:**
The Disability Compensation program provides monthly payments and ancillary benefits to veterans in recognition of the average potential loss of earning capacity caused by a disability or disease incurrred or aggravated during active service.  

Disabilities are evaluated according to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities in Title 38 United States Code of Federal Regulations, Part 4.  The Rating Schedule is based on a “whole person concept”.  This means that each disability is evaluated for its disabling effect on the whole person.  

## Wartime service
Permanent and Total Disability or Age 65 and Older
Means-based with income 
    	Limits set by Congress
Maximum Annual Payment Rate for a veteran with no dependents is $11,181

- Wartime service
- Permanent and Total Disability or Age 65 and Older
- Means-based with income
-     	Limits set by Congress
- Maximum Annual Payment Rate for a veteran with no dependents is $11,181

**Non-Service Connected **
**Pension Program**

## Compensation & Pension Benefits

**216,957 – Receiving Pension**

**2.9 Million – Receiving Compensation Benefits**

- $29.1 Billion Compensation Benefits Paid

- $2.8 Billion – Pension Benefits paid

## The Claims Process

**Claim**
**Received**

**Evidence**
**Gathered**

**Claim**
**Decided**

**Veteran**
**Notified**

- Quick Start
- Benefit Delivery at Discharge
- After Discharge

- Process averages **147 days**
- Legal Requirements under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act

- Process averages **14 days**
**Rating decision** obligates government for compensation

- Process averages **13 days**
- Appeal period begins with notification

## Disability Evaluation System (DES)

**DES Pilot was authorized by Presidential Directive, **
**and commenced on November 26, 2007 in the **
**National Capital Region**
**The pilot has three principal concepts:**
- Single disability examination based upon VA examination templates and worksheets that will be utilized by DoD in the Medical Evaluation/ Physical Evaluation Board process and by VA in the disability evaluation process
- A single disability rating by VA that is binding upon both agencies
- Expeditious payment of VA benefits on the first day allowed by law after a member is separated from service.
**Single examination MOA signed by VA and DoD on **
**November 6, 2007**

## Disability Evaluation System (DES)

**All examinations in the National Capital Region **
**are performed at the VAMC Washington, DC.**
**To date:**
- Servicemembers enrolled in the pilot = 666
- Servicemembers referred to VA = 585
- Proposed disability ratings completed = 157
- Servicemembers separated and in receipt of VA compensation benefits = 27
- Average number of examinations per service member = 4

## Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

**Proposed Rule Published on January 3, 2008**
**Two TBI Roundtable Meetings were Held with DoD**
- Title 10 USC Requires DoD to Utilize the VASRD
- Participants Included: VBA, VHA, OGC, and DoD
**Final Rule in OMB**

**Notes:**
VBA is developing and publishing new rating criteria for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). A regulation for TBI (RIN 2900-AM75) was published as a Proposed Rule on January 3, 2008, comments were reviewed, and the Final Rule is in concurrence.

The second TBI roundtable discussion was held on May 19, 2008, with representatives from VBA, VHA, GC, and DoD, including the Under Secretaries for Health and (Acting) Benefits, Director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, representatives from WRAMC and Bethesda NMC.

## Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

**Change in Policy regarding In-Service Diagnosis of PTSD**
- Fast Letter 08-08 issued April 7, 2008
- Immediate Exam When PTSD Diagnosed In-Service
- If VAE Consistent with In-Service Diagnosis, No Further Verification of Stressor Required
**Mandatory RVSR and DRO Training for Handling PTSD Claims**
- PTSD** **TPSS Training Module II Consists of 33 Hours of Practical Training, which Includes the Post-test

**Notes:**
There are two TPSS PTSD modules. 
Module I – Introduction to PTSD  Training time : 	6.25 Hours
Module II – Rating PTSD Claims   Training time: 	32.45  Hours
NOTE:  If not previously done, Module I must be taken prior to starting Module II
           RVSRS/DROs have option to take and pass pre-test to fulfill requirement
           (approximately 8 hours 45 minutes)

There is a TPSS module and EPSS module on PTSD for VSRs.  Currently there is not
a mandatory training requirement for them.
                  TPSS Usage – As Of August 1, 2008

## Who We Serve

- 919,516 GWOT Veterans Discharged thru Feb 2008

- Over 1.5 million GWOT Service Members Deployed since Hostilities began

- More than 1.6 million Active Duty
- More than 468,000 Guard and Reserve

- 484,999 Active Duty
- 434,517 Guard and Reserve

## Who We Serve

- 274,840 VA Claims Decisions Completed for GWOT Veterans

- 258,193 Veterans awarded Service Connection
- 16,647 Veterans denied Service Connection
- 50,528 Claims pending

## Who We Serve

- Ten Most Frequent Service Connected Disabilities for GWOT Veterans

- Tinnitus
- Lumbosacral or Cervical Strain
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine
- Limitation of Flexion of the Leg

- Defective Hearing
- Tenosynovitis
- Limited Motion of the Ankle
- Hypertensive Vascular Disease (Essential Arterial Hypertension)
- Scars, Other

## Who We Serve

- Average Combined Degree of Disability for GWOT Veterans Awarded Service Connection

- 0%		33,002
- 10%	50,770
- 20%	34,774
- 30%	33,400
- 40%	30,235
- 50%	18,144

- 60%  20,852
- 70%  13,554
- 80%	9,917
- 90%	4,401
- 100%	9,144

## Questions