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Major VA mental health rating changes are coming in 2024.
The VA has proposed to adopt new evaluation criteria that more accurately captures the occupational impairment caused by mental disabilities and provide adequate compensation for the earnings losses experienced by veterans with service connected mental disorders.
The VA says: “the new criterion should generally lead to more generous compensation for veterans than the current rating formula.”
I think the changes will allow for higher ratings for mental health conditions with less stringent requirements for the 70% and 100% rating criteria and a required minimum rating of 10% for any diagnosed mental health condition.
The 0% rating for mental health has been removed.
VA Mental Health Changes: When Will These Changes Become Official?
The exact implementation date is not known; however, summer 2024 is our best guess.
Also note that once the VA has finalized these proposed changes, there is a 60 day “cooling off” period before the changes take effect.
What does this mean for you?
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Pro Tip: If you already have a VA rating for mental health, you are “grandfathered in” under the old rating system. These new updates will not impact your current rating.
*NEW* VA Mental Health Rating Changes
| New VA Ratings for Mental Health (2024) | VA Rating |
|---|---|
| The General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders contains five domains related to function: Cognition; interpersonal interactions and relationships; task completion and life activities; navigating environments; and self-care. The criteria below describe each domain. | |
| The General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders provides criteria for each domain for levels of function ranging from 0 to 4, as appropriate. The highest level of impairment, a score of 4, signifies “total,” and the lowest level of impairment, a score of 0, signifies “no difficulties.” | |
| Evaluate based on the level of impairment in each domain and the number of affected domains, as follows: | |
| Level 4 in one or more domains, or Level 3 in two or more domains | 100% |
| Level 3 in one domain, or Level 2 in two or more domains | 70% |
| Level 2 in one domain | 50% |
| Level 1 in two or more domains | 30% |
| Minimum rating | 10% |
*NEW* Domain, Impairment, and Criteria for VA Mental Health Conditions
| Domain | Level of impairment | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cognition: May include, but is not limited to, memory, concentration, attention, goal setting, speed of processing information, planning, organizing, prioritizing, problem solving, judgment, making decisions, or flexibility in adapting when appropriate. | ||
| 0 = None | No difficulties: Cognitive functioning intact. | |
| 1 = Mild impairment at any frequency; or moderate impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Mild: Slight difficulties in one or more aspects of cognitive functioning that do not interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 2 = Moderate impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or severe impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Moderate: Clinically significant difficulties in one or more aspects of cognitive functioning that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 3 = Severe impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or total impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Severe: Serious difficulties in one or more aspects of cognitive functioning that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 4 = Total impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time | Total: Profound difficulties in one or more aspects of cognitive functioning that cannot be managed or remediated; incapable of even the most basic tasks within one or more aspects of cognitive functioning; difficulties that completely interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 2. Interpersonal interactions and relationships: Includes both informal (social, associational, etc.) and formal (coworkers, supervisors, etc.). | ||
| 0 = None. | No difficulties: Individual able to have relationships and interact with others at work, school, and other contexts. | |
| 1 = Mild impairment at any frequency; or moderate impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Mild: Slight difficulties in one or more aspects of interpersonal functioning that do not interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 2 = Moderate impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or severe impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Moderate: Clinically significant difficulties in one or more aspects of interpersonal functioning that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 3 = Severe impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or total impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Severe: Serious difficulties in one or more aspects of interpersonal functioning that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships, even with accommodations or assistance. | |
| 4 = Total impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time | Total: Profound difficulties in one or more aspects of interpersonal functioning that cannot be managed or remediated; incapable of even the most basic tasks within one or more aspects of relationships; difficulties that completely interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 3. Task completion and life activities: May include, but are not limited to, the following types of activities: Vocational, educational, domestic, social, or caregiving. | ||
| 0 = None | No difficulties: Individual able to perform tasks and participate in life activities; needs no accommodations or assistance. | |
| 1 = Mild impairment at any frequency; or moderate impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Mild: Slight difficulties in one or more aspects of task completion or life activities that were completed with minor stress or minor accommodations. | |
| 2 = Moderate impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or severe impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Moderate: Clinically significant difficulties in one or more aspects of task completion or life activities that were completed with significant stress or accommodations. | |
| 3 = Severe impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or total impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Severe: Serious difficulties in two or more aspects of task completion or life activities that were completed with significant stress and accommodations. | |
| 4 = Total impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time | Total: Profound difficulties in two or more aspects of task completion or life activities, one of which must be vocational, that were not completed even with considerable accommodations due to overwhelming stress; incapable of even the most basic tasks within one or more aspects of task completion or life activities. | |
| 4. Navigating environments: May include, but is not limited to, the following: Leaving the home, being in confined or crowded spaces, independently moving in surroundings, navigating new environments, driving, or using public transportation. | ||
| 0 = None. | No difficulties: Capability to navigate environments intact. | |
| 1 = Mild impairment at any frequency; or moderate impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Mild: Slight difficulties in one or more aspects of navigating environments that do not interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 2 = Moderate impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or severe impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Moderate: Clinically significant difficulties in one or more aspects of navigating environments that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 3 = Severe impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or total impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Severe: Serious difficulties in one or more areas of navigating environments that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships, even with accommodations or assistance. | |
| 4 = Total impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time | Total: Profound difficulties in one or more aspects of navigating environments that cannot be managed or remediated; incapable of even the most basic tasks within one or more aspects of environmental navigation; difficulties that completely interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 5. Self-care: May include, but is not limited to, the following types of activities: Hygiene, dressing appropriately, or taking nourishment. | ||
| 0 = None | No difficulties: Self-care capabilities intact. | |
| 1 = Mild impairment at any frequency; or moderate impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Mild: Slight difficulties in one or more aspects of self-care that do not interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships. | |
| 2 = Moderate impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or severe impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Moderate: Clinically significant difficulties in one or more aspects of self-care that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships without accommodations or assistance. | |
| 3 = Severe impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time; or total impairment that occurs less than 25% of the time | Severe: Serious difficulties in one or more aspects of self-care that interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships, even with accommodations or assistance. | |
| 4 = Total impairment that occurs 25% or more of the time | Total: Profound difficulties in one or more aspects of self-care that cannot be managed or remediated; difficulties that completely interfere with tasks, activities, or relationships, even with accommodations or assistance. |
[Download] the Proposed VA Rating Changes for Mental Health Conditions
About the Author
Brian Reese
Brian Reese is a world-renowned VA disability benefits expert and the #1 bestselling author of VA Claim Secrets and You Deserve It. Motivated by his own frustration with the VA claim process, Brian founded VA Claims Insider to help disabled veterans secure their VA disability compensation faster, regardless of their past struggles with the VA. Since 2013, he has positively impacted the lives of over 10 million military, veterans, and their families.
A former active-duty Air Force officer, Brian has extensive experience leading diverse teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, where he was a National Honor Scholar, ranking in the top 1% of his class.
