Veterans Bill Could Reduce Disability Benefits For Some Conditions
Summary
The House passed the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, H.R. 9237, by voice vote on November 11. The bill would change disability-rating rules for sleep apnea and tinnitus for claims filed on or after October 1, 2026, but it still needs Senate approval and the president’s signature to become law.Key Facts
- The bill would set sleep-apnea ratings at 0 percent for cases without symptoms, 10 percent when treatment provides incomplete relief, 50 percent when treatment is ineffective or cannot be used in specified circumstances, and 100 percent when the condition causes end-organ damage.
- Under current rules, needing a CPAP breathing-assistance machine can qualify a veteran for a 50 percent sleep-apnea rating.
- If the bill became law, use of a CPAP machine alone would no longer qualify a veteran for a 50 percent rating.
- Current rules allow recurrent tinnitus to receive a separate 10 percent rating.
- The bill would generally end separate compensation for tinnitus, with a 10 percent rating preserved when it is linked to service-connected hearing loss rated at 0 percent.
- The bill would allow eligible combat-injured military retirees to receive military retirement pay alongside VA disability compensation.
- The Veterans of Foreign Wars opposes the bill, arguing that it would reduce earned benefits.
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