Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said Thursday the department suspended enforcement of a new interim rule that would have changed how the agency calculates disability ratings — a move that could have cost some disabled veterans thousands of dollars a month.
The interim rule was announced and went into effect Tuesday. It directed the Veterans Benefits Administration not to consider the severity of a veteran's disabilities when determining ratings, but to instead consider the level of disability under treatment or medication — a standard that in most cases would lower ratings, thus lowering the monthly benefits paid.
The VA said its disability rating system has always been to consider the functional impairments veterans with disabilities face.
"If medication or other treatment lowers the level of disability, the rating will be based on that lowered disability level," the interim rule says.
The decision was slammed by veterans service organizations, among others. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans each issued statements denouncing the change — one the VA instituted by claiming emergency authority, which bypassed a 60-day Congressional review.
The VA announced the rule without first having a public comment period; instead, it said it would begin taking comments after the rule was already in effect.
On Thursday, Collins reversed the decision.
"While VA does not agree with the way this rule has been characterized, the department always takes Veterans’ concerns seriously," Collins wrote on X. "To alleviate these concerns, VA will continue to collect public comments regarding the rule, but it will not be enforced at any time in the future."
The VA claimed emergency authority to bypass the normal review process because of a 2025 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
The court ruled the VA could not consider the effects of pain medication in the case of a veteran who received lower ratings for musculoskeletal issues managed by pain medication.
In doing so the court upheld a 2012 ruling that said the VA could not consider improvements from medication in determining disability.
The VA said it had to "clarify" its rules because the court has, for years, "misconstrued" and "erroneously interpreted" them to mean it must consider the actual level of disability regardless of improvement from medication.
Janessa Goldbeck is the CEO of the nonprofit Vet Voice Foundation and a San Diego Marine Corps veteran. She said the VA's argument — that it should consider disabilities by a veterans' functionality — doesn't hold water.
"Is a person who has lost their limb in battle and using a wheelchair suddenly less disabled because they use a wheelchair?" Goldbeck said. "Absolutely not. It's outrageous."
This was the second major VA reform effort under Secretary Doug Collins. Last year an attempt to layoff tens of thousands of VA health care workers was also opposed by veterans groups.
Goldbeck said she's concerned the Trump administration will continue its attempts to reform the VA in ways she says are harmful to veterans.
"They are following the Project 2025 blueprint by the book," Goldbeck said, referencing the 2023 policy initiative from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
The document includes language that recommends reforming the VA disability rating system to save money.
Craig Candelore is a San Diego attorney the helps veterans navigate the VA claims process. He said this reversal should be seen as a setback, but not the end of the effort to reduce the rating levels of disabled veterans based on improvements from medication.
"Do I think that standard will ultimately be implemented?" he said. "Yes. I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon, but it's coming."
