02/19/2026
Okay, so we do our best to do our due diligence when changes like this happen, and such, we spent the last few hours reading appeals and legal documents pertaining to the new change in functional abilities in relation to medication/treatment for veterans and service-connected disability ratings.
We wrote an piece on this rule here explaining the law, the reason we got here, who it most likely will impact: https://www.hunterseven.org/blog/va
➡️ What the new rule does:
The VA will now rate disabilities based on how your condition functions with treatment or medication (if applicable), not how severe it would be without it.
This rule applies to all future disability evaluations, not just new claims.
🚩However: It does NOT automatically reopen or lower existing ratings.
If you already have a VA rating and nothing is under review
For most service-connected veterans, nothing changes right now. Your rating should not change unless you are:
1) Requesting an increased rating.
2) Filing for a secondary claim.
3) Scheduled for a periodic re-evaluation.
The VA does not reopen cases just because the regulation changed.
And veterans with permanent & total disability, or ratings for 5-10 years should not see any change unless significant improvements are present and proof is obvious.
What this means for new claims
All new disability claims and exams will follow the clarified rule.
For Veterans moving forward, Examiners will evaluate:
➡ How your service connected disability limits you with treatment (if you are being treated).
A firm reminder that when you go into these examinations and evaluations, think about the worst day you’ve had, and discuss that. Many veterans downplay, significantly, their conditions… in turn, receive very low-to-no rating. Do not do this.
🇺🇸 Let us know your thoughts, questions, concerns below… we are compiling a list for our discussion with the VBA team next week.
