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 to servicemembers or veterans under their respective authorities. An individual's disability rating, from either department, 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 the impact of a disability on gainful employment in the civilian economy. Congress has followed recent news reports with interest, and several legislative initiatives are under consideration. For example, H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007, passed unanimously in the House on March 28, 2007. The Senate version of H.R. 1538, the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, passed the Senate by unanimous consent on July 25, 2007. The bills included numerous provisions to improve or streamline medical care and benefits processing for returning injured servicemembers. Title XVI of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2008 (H.R. 4986, P.L. 110-181), contains provisions from both versions of H.R. 1538 related to the care and transition of injured servicemembers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 21, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA490084
Entities
People
- Charles A. Henning
- Christine Scott
- Sidath V. Panangala
Organizations
- Library of Congress