Amid outcry, VA abruptly stops enforcing new disability rating rule

Stars and Stripes ^ | 02/19/2026 | Linda F. Hershey

[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.

[Az Joe]

“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.

[rktman]

Injury, or condition.

[rexthecat]

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.

[MikelTackNailer]

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.

[maddog55]

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

[rktman]

Roger that FRiend. Thanks for your service. I read last night they backed off the new rule due to the feedback. Guess we need to keep a closer eye on the federal register.

[rktman]

Here’s that post:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4367550/posts

[baclava]

Tar and feather this retard and run him outta town on a rail.

So if vets didn’t raise such a huge backlash it would still be enforced?

Goodbye House AND Senate. Idiots.