The first comprehensive review of veterans’ disability benefits in 51 years recommends that Congress and the Bush administration support an immediate increase in compensation levels — of up to 25 percent for the most severely disabled — to recognize their reduced quality of life.
The Veterans Disability Benefits Commission’s thick report, reflecting more than two years of work, also wants all disabled veterans made eligible for both disability pay and an annuity based on years of service.
Disabled veterans and their families will find much to be pleased about in the report’s 113 recommendations, assuming lawmakers and the VA follow through on its sweeping reforms. The commissioners, 12 of whom are distinguished veterans themselves, didn’t allow cost considerations to deeply influence their deliberations.
“As we worked our way through and became more and more familiar with the issues, we came up with a lot of recommendations that are cheap and easy and some that are hard and expensive. But we really believe all of them will add value to the system if they are carefully considered and, hopefully, adopted,” said retired Lt. Gen. Terry Scott, a former infantry officer, who chaired the panel.
The full report is available online at: www.vetscommission.org/reports.asp
What the commission did last Wednesday was call for an unprecedented expansion of benefits and support programs for disabled veterans, whether they were disabled in Iraq or in World War II or simply became ill serving their country sometime between those two long wars.
Scott said he was unaware of the politics behind creation of the commission. If anyone had told him it was to be “a budget drill,” he said, “I would have never signed up for it.” Scott felt no such pressure, he said.
It might take Congress years to implement the bulk of the commission’s proposals, but it should view some as priorities, including:
Ending the dollar-for-dollar reduction in military survivor benefits that occurs when surviving spouses also draw VA dependency and indemnity compensation.
Raising VA disability compensation immediately by as much as 25 percent as an interim step toward recognizing the effect of service-related disabilities on the quality of life.
Providing compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder with treatment and vocational assessment. Veterans should be re-evaluated every 2 to 3 years to gauge progress and encourage wellness.
Updating the 60-year-old disability rating schedule to involve post-traumatic stress disorder, other mental disorders and traumatic brain injury. The existing schedule lumps the three distinct conditions together for rating purposes, creating inequities, Scott said.
To comment, e-mail milupdate@aol.com, write Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111 or visit: www.militaryupdate.com.
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