December 16, 2013 - The Department of Veterans Affairs has approved new regulations to make it easier for veterans to receive health care and compensation for certain illnesses, including Parkinsonism, dementia, and depression, which have been linked to traumatic brain injury.The final rules, which will be published on Tuesday in the Federal Register, also add to the list unprovoked seizures and hormone deficiency diseases related to the hypothalamus, pituitary or adrenal glands.
The new policy, which takes effect on Jan. 16, could pave the way for thousands of veterans to file claims. Since 2000, more than 287,000 active-duty service members and veterans have been found to have traumatic brain injuries, according to Defense Department figures. About 62,000 of those injuries have occurred since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, said the Department of Veterans Affairs. read more>>>
{from the VA press release site with backlinks}Adds Five Illnesses Related to Service-Connected TBI
WASHINGTON – December 16, 2013 - Some Veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are diagnosed with any of five other ailments will have an easier path to receive additional disability pay under new regulations developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The new regulation, which takes effect 30 days from today, impacts some Veterans living with TBI who also have Parkinson’s disease, certain types of dementia, depression, unprovoked seizures or certain diseases of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands.
“We decide Veterans’ disability claims based on the best science available,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “As scientific knowledge advances, VA will expand its programs to ensure Veterans receive the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.”
This regulation stems from a report of the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine (IOM) regarding the association between TBI and the five diagnosable illnesses. The IOM report, Gulf War and Health, Volume 7: Long-Term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury, found “sufficient evidence” to link moderate or severe levels of TBI with the five ailments. read more>>>
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