Bill would help vets needing continual care

[unhappycamper]

Bill would help vets needing continual care
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 9, 2008 6:09:20 EDT

The chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee introduced legislation Tuesday to ensure all veterans who need continual medical care receive at least a 10 percent disability rating from the Veterans Affairs Department.

Several veterans’ groups have sought the legislation for veterans whose service-connected injuries will require medication or special devices, such as hearing aids, for as long as they live.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the committee chairman, said the new legislation would address those veterans whose injuries are considered non-compensable, such as hypertension or chronic sinusitis, even if they will require medical care for the rest of their lives. Other conditions that require lifelong care, such as asthma or diabetes, are compensable.

Akaka said the current VA rating schedule “provides a minimum compensable rating of 10 percent or higher for most but not all disabilities that require medical attention.”

He said he thinks it is unfair to provide “different compensation for different medical conditions that all require continuous medication or adaptive devices.”


Article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_10percent_disabilityrating_040808w/