Alert Notification
Important Notice to VA Beneficiaries, Military Retirees, and Active Duty Service Members
We want to make our community aware of a recent VA disability policy issue that drew significant concern.
In February 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs issued a rule that would have changed how some service connected disabilities are rated when medication or treatment improves a veteran’s symptoms. In practical terms, that rule could have reduced disability ratings, and therefore monthly VA compensation, for some veterans whose conditions are managed with medication or other treatment.
That rule was later revoked by the VA on February 27, 2026, and the prior regulation was restored immediately. At this time, that February rule is not in effect.
However, the larger legal issue behind it has not been fully resolved. The rule was connected to a court decision, Ingram v. Collins, which held that in certain situations the VA must consider how a condition would be rated without the beneficial effects of medication when the rating criteria do not specifically account for medication. Because of that court ruling, the VA may still have to address this issue in some form going forward.
At this time, we do not know what any future VA action may look like. As of now, no public replacement change to 38 CFR 4.10 has been issued.
The key takeaway is this:
The February 2026 VA medication rule was revoked, but the court ruling that triggered the issue still exists. That means the matter may return in a different form in the future.
We encourage veterans, retirees, and service members to stay informed and review any future VA policy changes carefully.