By Bob Brewin
December 7, 2012
The Veterans Affairs Department plans to add a new list of illnesses related to traumatic brain injury that will qualify veterans for disability benefits.
The VA said that if a veteran has service connected TBI and also has these illnesses, then they will be considered service connected: Parkinsonism; dementias (which VA understands to include dementia of the Alzheimer type and post-traumatic dementia); depression (which also was associated with mild TBI); and diseases of hormone deficiency that may result from changes in the pituitary gland.
The VA will publish a new rule to cover this change in the Federal Register next Monday. This will not help the claims backlog.
By Bob Brewin
December 7, 2012
http://www.govexec.comhttp://www.nextgov.com/defense/whats-brewin/2012/12/more-invisible-wounds-war/60037/