{"id":85642,"date":"2026-02-19T20:35:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T20:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:36:13","slug":"va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/","title":{"rendered":"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department of Veterans Affairs has retreated from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2026\/02\/18\/va-to-consider-medical-management-of-symptoms-in-determining-disability-ratings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2026\/02\/18\/va-to-consider-medical-management-of-symptoms-in-determining-disability-ratings\/\">enforcing a controversial regulation it rolled out Tuesday<\/a> that required medical examiners to factor in the effects of medication when weighing disability ratings decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecVetAffairs\/status\/2024555974862786684\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecVetAffairs\/status\/2024555974862786684\">In a post on X on Thursday<\/a>, VA Secretary Doug Collins said the VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future\u201d as a result of the veteran community\u2019s reaction to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMany interpreted the rule as something that could result in adverse consequences. While VA does not agree with the way this rule has been characterized, the department always takes Veterans\u2019 concerns seriously,\u201d Collins wrote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The department issued the regulation with \u201cimmediate effect,\u201d meaning that it applied to veterans filing disability claims or appeals on and after Feb. 17 and those seeking any changes to their disability ratings after that date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the regulation, those conducting medical exams for disability assessments were instructed to look at a veteran\u2019s \u201cactual level of functional impairment\u201d and include any effects of medication or treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rule was written in response to several court cases dating to 2012 that interpreted the VA\u2019s existing regulations as limiting the consideration of medication\u2019s effects. Those cases stipulated that the VA secretary could issue a regulation with strict parameters on including medication as part of the instructions for assigning disability ratings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the rule, Collins wrote that the court decisions would force adjudicators to make assessments based on hypotheses if a veteran\u2019s disability was left untreated, a standard he called \u201cunquantifiable, hypothetical [and] unwarranted.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the announcement \u2014 and the manner in which it was initiated, as a final decision \u2014 infuriated veterans and advocacy groups, drawing criticism from individual veterans online and organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and Paralyzed Veterans of America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first 60 hours of posting, the comments section on the Federal Register drew more than 10,000 responses. Veterans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/vietnam-vet-law-firms-file-suit-over-new-va-ruling-on-disability-rating-exams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/vietnam-vet-law-firms-file-suit-over-new-va-ruling-on-disability-rating-exams\/\">also filed at least one lawsuit calling for a review of the rule<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll this does is provide a perverse incentive for veterans to forego treatment,\u201d said Paul Jennings, an Army veteran and attorney for MilVet Law Firm, one of the plaintiffs in the suit. \u201cIt\u2019s the VA \u2014 they\u2019re there to take care of us. \u2026 So, it\u2019s quite unexpected when you get a rule published with immediate effect stating it\u2019s an emergency because the VA has taken the approach that this will result in veterans getting higher ratings.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTreatment to alleviate symptoms of a service-connected condition, including medication, should not be used in a way that decreases compensation for that disability. Such a notion could set up a slippery slope where a veteran with a spinal cord injury could be considered less disabled simply because he or she is able to use a wheelchair to ambulate,\u201d Paralyzed Veterans of America CEO Carl Blake said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The change also drew backlash from politicians who called for it to be rescinded. Disabled Army veteran and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said the VA \u201cshamefully circumvented the normal rulemaking process\u201d to implement a regulation that put \u201cmillions of veterans disability ratings and care at risk.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s self-evident that treating a Veteran\u2019s service-connected disability doesn\u2019t mean they weren\u2019t injured serving their nation. It\u2019s shameful, but not shocking, that the Trump Administration would implement a rule straight out of the Project 2025 textbook that threatens to punish our Wounded Warriors for following their treatment plans while disincentivizing them from seeking the coverage that they have earned because doing so puts their disability rating \u2014 and their coverage \u2014 at risk,\u201d Duckworth said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before he announced he was pulling back from implementation, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecVetAffairs\/status\/2024262155562795054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecVetAffairs\/status\/2024262155562795054\">Collins fought back on the criticism, calling it \u201cfake news.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat the Democrats won\u2019t tell you: The rule simply formalizes VA\u2019s longstanding practice \u2014 since 1958 \u2014 of determining disability ratings based on Veterans\u2019 service-related disabilities and any medications they are taking to treat those disabilities. The rule will have no impact on any Veteran\u2019s current disability rating,\u201d Collins wrote on X. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the regulation, the change was needed because without it, the VA faced readjudicating 350,000 claims decisions, retraining its medical examiners, generating administrative costs and increasing VA expenditures because the department would pay out additional disability compensation \u201cbased on levels that \u201cveterans are not actually experiencing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But veterans saw the rule as a betrayal of trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe VA is not tasked with protecting taxpayers. They are tasked with protecting veterans. The VA\u2019s goal is not to seek out victories \u2014 their goal is to ensure that veterans are properly compensated for their injuries,\u201d Jennings said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the regulation, the rule had the potential to have an economic impact of $100 million a year. It would have affected 350,000 claims and more than 500 conditions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future,&#8221; VA Secretary Doug Collins said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":112101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,25,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3244],"class_list":["post-85642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"QT6EZCEHINBSREWE7ECBAHKNGA","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash - Army Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future,&quot; VA Secretary Doug Collins said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future,&quot; VA Secretary Doug Collins said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Army Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-19T20:35:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T16:36:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Patricia Kime\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Patricia Kime\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2026-02-19T20:35:50+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T16:36:13+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 811,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Veterans\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash - Army Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2026-02-19T20:35:50+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T16:36:13+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future,\\\" VA Secretary Doug Collins said.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/19\\\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Veterans\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/veterans\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"veterans\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Army Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash - Army Times","description":"The VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future,\" VA Secretary Doug Collins said.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash","og_description":"The VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future,\" VA Secretary Doug Collins said.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/","og_site_name":"Army Times","article_published_time":"2026-02-19T20:35:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T16:36:13+00:00","author":"Patricia Kime","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Patricia Kime","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash","datePublished":"2026-02-19T20:35:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T16:36:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/"},"wordCount":811,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Newsletters","Veterans"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/","name":"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash - Army Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-19T20:35:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T16:36:13+00:00","description":"The VA will continue collecting public comment on the rule but it \u201cwill not be enforced at any time in the future,\" VA Secretary Doug Collins said.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2026\/02\/19\/va-halts-implementation-of-controversial-disability-rating-rule-following-backlash\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Veterans","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/","ad_zone":"veterans"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"VA halts implementation of controversial disability rating rule following backlash"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","name":"Army Times","description":"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization","name":"Army Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","caption":"Army Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Army Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2228234455.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85642"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85650,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85642\/revisions\/85650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85642"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=85642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}