Disability Evaluation of Military Servicemembers
Abstract
On February 18, 2007, the Washington Post published the first in a series of articles describing problems with outpatient medical care and other services provided at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). The series noted, among other things, concerns about the processes used to evaluate disability in injured military servicemembers. Both the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) conduct disability evaluations and assign disability ratings. An individual's disability rating affects the scope of pay and benefits for which he or she is eligible, and the cost to the respective department of providing such benefits. There are significant differences between the disability evaluations performed by DOD and VA, as well as civilian disability evaluations conducted by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and workers' compensation programs. Most notably, the DOD disability evaluation is focused on the effect of any disabling condition on the performance of the servicemember's duties in the military, while the other three systems evaluate an individual's prospects for gainful employment in the civilian economy. Congress has followed recent news reports with interest, and several legislative initiatives are under consideration. This report is intended as a primer to describe disability evaluation in general, including evaluations used by DOD and VA, as well as civilian evaluations used by the SSA and by workers compensation programs. Next, the DOD and VA disability rating processes are described, respectively, in greater detail. Finally, recent congressional and executive actions and recommendations regarding DOD and VA disability evaluations are described. This report emphasizes the disability evaluation systems at DOD and VA, with illustrative comparisons made to civilian systems when appropriate. It will be updated as warranted.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 07, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA472376
Entities
People
- Charles A. Henning
- Christine Scott
- Sarah A. Lister
- Sidath V. Panangala
Organizations
- Library of Congress