The Difference Between Defense and Veterans Affairs Disability Evaluation Systems

A simplified system to collect disability benefits would benefit military personnel. Veterans receive some of their disability benefits under programs run by the Department of Defense (DoD), while the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers other disability benefits. There are some differences between the two systems in terms of evaluating for disability benefits, though efforts are being made to integrate the two systems.

Disability Evaluation System

• In case injured military personnel are unable to return to active duty within a reasonable time frame, their physician refers them to the military’s Disability Evaluation System (DES). The DES evaluation process, which is an initial disability evaluation step for both DoD and VA, consists of a Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) examination that determines if the injured person is capable of returning to duty based on his injury and the nature of his duties. In addition, a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB), an administrative body, determines if the person is fit to report for duty. The DES helps assign a disability rating, based on a scale of zero percent disabled to 100 percent disabled, to determine the extent of the person’s disability.

Medical Conditions

• One of the differences in criteria for disability rating between the VA and DoD disability evaluations is that the DoD system only takes into account the physical conditions that make someone unfit to continue in active military duty. The VA system however takes a broader approach, accounting for all the service-related disabilities an individual developed and any changes in the individual’s medical condition as a result of military duty.

Reevaluation Possibility

• Another difference between the VA and DoD disability ratings system is that the DoD disability rating is not open to reevaluation. The VA disability rating is however open to reevaluation in case the evaluated person’s condition changes over time, either getting worse or improving. The VA rating is also open to reevaluation in case the laws on disability ratings change.

Integration

• A person who undergoes a DES evaluation and is eligible for both DoD benefits and VA benefits could get different disability ratings to determine her benefits under the two programs. To integrate and simplify the two benefits systems, the DoD and VA have developed an Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) that makes the evaluation process faster. The IDES system involves one physical examination and one disability rating to simplify the process. Some military treatment facilities are already on IDES and the government is looking to expand its use to more facilities.