House to vote on bill changing DOD and VA benefits
The House is preparing to vote on sweeping legislation that would expand benefits for some disabled veterans while significantly reducing disability ratings for two of the most common service-connected conditions. The Take Care of America's Veterans bill, introduced June 10 by Republican committee chairs Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois and Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, consolidates 62 separate provisions but has sparked intense debate over its approach to funding expanded benefits by cutting future compensation for sleep apnea and tinnitus.
At the heart of the bill is the Major Richard Star Act, legislation that has languished despite support from 336 House members and 79 senators. The Star Act would allow approximately 54,000 combat-injured veterans eligible for combat-related special compensation to receive both their full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without the current offset that forces them to choose between the two. Until now, cost concerns have blocked passage, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating the change would cost $11 billion over ten years. The bill also includes the Love Lives On Act, which would allow surviving spouses to keep their VA and Defense Department benefits even if they remarry.
To pay for these expansions, the legislation would accelerate proposed changes to how the VA rates sleep apnea and tinnitus for future claimants. Veterans with asymptomatic sleep apnea or mild cases controlled by treatment would receive ratings between zero and ten percent, down from current levels. Tinnitus, which currently receives a standalone ten percent rating, would instead be treated only as a symptom of other conditions like hearing loss or traumatic brain injury. These changes would apply only to veterans filing new claims after the bill's passage, not to those already receiving compensation for these conditions.
The proposed rating changes have drawn sharp opposition from major veterans service organizations. Disabled American Veterans National Commander Coleman Lee stated the changes could affect 1.5 million veterans and reduce disability compensation by $57 billion over the next decade. VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore said her organization "strongly opposes" the bill as currently drafted, arguing that future disabled veterans should not bear the cost of expanding benefits for others. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has called the payment method "wrong and must be stopped," suggesting instead that the Defense Department could cover costs using the $1.7 trillion Military Retirement Fund.
However, the American Legion has broken ranks with other major VSOs to support the legislation. National Commander Dan Wiley acknowledged the trade-offs but argued that "the alternative is continued gridlock on major reforms in an increasingly challenging budgetary and political environment." Roughly 1.3 million veterans currently receive disability compensation for sleep apnea, while more than 1.5 million receive benefits for tinnitus, making these among the most prevalent service-connected conditions.
Beyond the controversial rating changes, the 554-page bill includes substantial benefit increases for catastrophically disabled veterans and their survivors, raising compensation by $10,000 annually for families caring for veterans with the most severe injuries. It would also increase survivor payments by one percent, authorize VA traveling physicians to treat veterans in U.S. territories and Pacific Island nations, and provide grants for mental health professionals serving veterans.
Disabled veterans should monitor this legislation closely and consider contacting their congressional representatives to express their views, particularly if they plan to file claims for sleep apnea or tinnitus in the future. Veterans service organizations can provide guidance on how these changes might affect individual circumstances and help veterans understand whether filing claims sooner rather than later makes sense given the pending vote. The timing of any House vote has not been announced, but sponsors have indicated they expect action soon.