Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, opened a hearing today focused on modernizing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD). The subcommittee is reviewing efforts to update the system that determines how veterans’ service-connected disabilities are evaluated and compensated.
The VASRD, created in 1945, serves as the standard for assessing veterans’ eligibility for disability benefits. While parts of it have been updated over time, its overall framework remains largely unchanged. Luttrell highlighted that although the VA began a comprehensive review of all 15 body systems in 2009 with a plan to finish by 2016, only 11 systems have been reviewed to date. According to testimony from a Senate hearing last year, the VA has now extended its timeline into 2026—more than ten years past its original goal.
Luttrell stated: "The VASRD is the scale that determines how a veteran’s service-connected conditions are evaluated which then determines a veteran’s eligibility for benefits, overall disability rating, and ultimately the amount of tax-free money they receive each month."
He continued: "While the VASRD is incredibly overcomplicated, it is important to step back and know that the schedule affects real lives."
Updates have been made in recent years to some systems such as respiratory, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and digestive. However, other areas including neurological, cardiovascular, hematologic systems—and especially mental health—are still pending review or finalization. Luttrell noted: "Mental health remains the most concerning. VA proposed updates to the mental health rating criteria in 2022, but those changes have not been finalized."
He also pointed out concerns regarding inconsistent outcomes due to outdated or incomplete criteria: "Recent GAO reporting has highlighted inconsistent outcomes for similar conditions, outdated medical and occupational criteria, and quality review processes that are not strong enough to catch errors before they affect veterans."
Luttrell emphasized the impact on veterans: "For veterans, the disability rating process is not an abstract policy exercise. It is often the moment when they sit across from the system and ask for help – sometimes years after they left the military." He concluded by stressing trust in the system: "Modernizing the rating schedule is not just about updating language or revising criteria. It is about trust."
This marks the second hearing this Congress held by this subcommittee specifically addressing modernization efforts related to VA disability compensation benefits.
