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Amid outcry, VA abruptly stops enforcing new disability rating rule
Stars and Stripes ^ | 02/19/2026 | Linda F. Hershey

Posted on 02/19/2026 8:34:46 PM PST by Az Joe

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday abruptly announced that it would stop enforcing a new rule requiring disability ratings to be calculated by how well veterans function on medication and not solely on the underlying condition or injury itself.


TOPICS: Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benefits; collins; va
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“Effective immediately, VA is halting enforcement of the interim final rule, ‘Evaluative Rating: Impact of Medication,’” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a brief statement posted on social media on Thursday.
1 posted on 02/19/2026 8:34:46 PM PST by Az Joe
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To: Az Joe

Injury, or condition.


2 posted on 02/19/2026 8:40:54 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? On hold! Enlisted USN 1967 proudly. 🚫💉! 🇮🇱🙏! Winning currently!)
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To: rktman

I am an 80 year old veteran with a 100% disability rating for two Agent Orange cancers. Changing the way ratings are calculated is the last thing that we need.


3 posted on 02/19/2026 11:17:35 PM PST by rexthecat
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To: Az Joe
In this Acute Care place I observe how the same medications affect different people in different ways all the time, so there's no way unqualified bureaucrats can make that call.

It never ceases to amaze me how much effort they put in to DENY veterans benefits compared to all other responsibilities.

4 posted on 02/20/2026 3:45:49 AM PST by MikelTackNailer
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To: Az Joe

Dumb ass rule to begin with and I can’t believe it was event considered. There’s more they need to halt as well.


5 posted on 02/20/2026 4:14:25 AM PST by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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