The VA has proposed a shakeup to its mental health rating system. The current administration is reviewing the proposed changes, and we’re waiting to hear whether they will be approved or denied—and if approved, when they will take effect. But regardless, knowledge is power, and it’s good to prepare for what could lie ahead.
Here’s what you need to know about the proposed changes for VA mental health ratings.
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The new changes will apply equally to all mental health conditions
As with the old system, the new rating criteria will apply to all mental health conditions, be it anxiety, depression, PTSD, somatic symptom disorder, etc.
You still won’t be able to “stack” mental health conditions, such as trying to get a 10%
rating for anxiety added to a 70% rating for PTSD. All mental health disorders will be wrapped up and evaluated as one overarching condition.
If you currently have a VA rating for mental health, your compensation will not be affected.
All veterans currently rated for a mental health condition will be grandfathered in under the VA’s old rating system. So if you’re satisfied with your current rating, you will continue to receive the same benefits, regardless of whether these changes pass or not.
However, if the changes pass and you apply for an increase (not just with mental health but with any health condition), you open yourself up to further scrutiny from the VA, and your mental health condition will be evaluated according to the new schedule.
The new minimum rating will be 10% (not 0%)
It used to be that a 0% rating was the minimum. A 0% rating doesn’t bring any compensation, but it does make it easier for you to submit a supplemental claim should your condition worsen or to file for secondary claims related to your service-connected mental health condition. For example, even if you have a 0% rating for PTSD, you could claim that you have developed insomnia, hypertension, or sleep apnea secondary to your PTSD.
Since the new minimum will be 10%, you will be entitled to some compensation—even at the lowest rating level. This represents a better safety net than the current system.
The new rating will be broken down by domains
The current system measures veterans’ mental health by their ability to function socially and occupationally. This is a very simplistic way of looking at things, and a lot of veterans get caught on the occupational requirement. The reviewer may write them off because they can hold a job, but “holding a job” masks many cracks under the surface.
For example, the veteran may be able to hold a job to put food on the table, but they’re not able to perform well or even go to work consistently. As a result, they may feel like their job is always in jeopardy.
The new rating system offers a more complete picture of the veteran’s impairment by measuring their function across five different domains:
- Cognition
- Interpersonal interactions and relationships
- Task completion and life activities
- Navigating environments
- Self-care
Within these domains, veterans will be rated on a scale of 0 to 4:
- 0—no impairment
- 1—mild impairment
- 2—moderate impairment
- 3—severe impairment
- 4—total impairment
Ratings will correspond with combinations of the 0-4 levels within the five domains:
- 100%—Level 4 in at least one domain OR level 3 in at least two domains
- 70%—Level 3 in one domain OR level 2 in at least two domains
- 50%—Level 2 in one domain
- 30%—Level 1 in at least two domains
- 10%—Minimum rating
The new rating criteria could help or hurt you, depending on how you tell your story
The criteria for a higher rating (70% or 100%) under the current system carries significant restrictions. The new system will allow more veterans with severe mental health symptoms to get a higher rating and more compensation—if they strategize correctly. Otherwise, the new system could be a nightmare that makes it harder than ever to get an appropriate rating.
Remember that a 4 in any area could get you a 100% VA disability rating, as could a 3 in two or more domains. So think about how these ratings are reflected in your life, and clearly communicate your symptoms to the VA in the language that they know.
For example, maybe your cognition is totally intact, but you have a lot of problems with “interpersonal interactions and relationships.” You and your spouse fight regularly, you can’t keep yourself from getting “ugly” with your in-laws during family get-togethers, and you have had several times at work when you have completely lost your temper.
Or maybe you have trouble with the “navigating environments” piece. Perhaps your road rage is out of control or you regularly zone out when driving and realize miles later that you’ve missed your exit by a long shot.
Or perhaps for the “self-care” category, you can maintain decent hygiene, but you can rarely get yourself to sleep more than a few hours per night. Or maybe your mental condition has turned you into a complete workaholic—working day and night keeps the demons at bay, but it’s killing your health.
An especially potent weapon in telling your story is your personal statement (VA Form 21-4138). Use this statement to provide the details that your medical records don’t show. Write about the domain(s) where you’re struggling the most. Talk about how your impairment within those domains affects your life on a daily basis. Give concrete examples to support your points.
Can I File Before the New System Takes Effect?
If you are looking to increase your mental health rating and you don’t think the new system will serve you well, you’ll want to submit an Intent to File quickly. Even if your case isn’t resolved by the time the new guidelines take effect, your claim will most likely be grandfathered in under the current system (on account of your Intent to File date).
If you’re not sure whether to file now or wait to see if the new system takes effect, contact VA Claims Academy. You can schedule a 1-on-1 discovery to start the process of getting help with filing your VA disability claim at the most advantageous time. From there, we can supply you with the training you’ll need to submit a winning claim (either now or in the future).
We can also introduce you to a treasure trove of done-for-you templates so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. These resources will dramatically reduce your time commitment in submitting your claim while ensuring a much smoother path to a rating increase.