More to Write Your Representative & Senators about!

[Gimpy]

More "news" from the Congressional Budget Office and their "recommendations" for the Presidents new VA Budget Proposals!


This volume--one of the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO's) regular reports to the House and Senate Committees on the Budget--presents options for altering federal spending and revenues. The volume aims to help policymakers in their annual tasks of making budgetary choices, setting priorities, and adapting to changes in circumstances.


The options discussed in this report stem from various sources. They are derived from legislative proposals, the President's budget, Congressional and CBO staff, other government entities, and private groups .


Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Veterans Benefits and Services


700-01--Mandatory

Narrow the Eligibility for Veterans' Disability Compensation to Include Only Veterans with High-Rated Disabilities


(Millions of dollars) 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2006-2010 2006-2015


Change in Spending Budget authority -76 - 138 - 183 - 256 -320 - 973 - 3,608


Outlays ----------------------------- 73 - 133 - 177 - 250 -315 - 948 - 3,559


Approximately 2.6 million veterans who have service-connected disabilities receive disability compensation benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The amount of compensation is based on a rating of an individual's impairment that is intended to reflect the resulting reduction, on average, in earnings capacity.

Veterans' disability ratings range from zero to 100 percent (the most severe). Veterans who are unable to maintain gainful employment and who have ratings of at least 60 percent are eligible to be paid at the 100 percent disability rate.

Veterans who have disabilities rated 30 percent or higher and who have dependent spouses, children, or parents are paid special allowances because of their dependents.


The Congressional Budget Office expects at least 45,000 more veterans with disability ratings below 30 percent to begin receiving compensation of $70 to $200 per month each year over the 2006-2015 period.

This option would, for all future cases, narrow the eligibility for compensation to include only veterans with disability ratings of 30 percent or higher. That change would reduce federal outlays by $948 million over the 2006-2010 period.


By not awarding new compensation to veterans with disability ratings below 30 percent, VA could concentrate spending on the most impaired veterans. Furthermore, the need for compensating the least impaired veterans may be lessening. Performance in civilian jobs depends less now on physical labor than it did when the disability ratings were originally determined in 1924, and improved reconstructive techniques are now available.

Thus, physical impairments rated below 30 percent may not substantively reduce veterans' earnings. Examples of low-rated impairments include conditions such as mild arthritis, moderately flat feet, or amputation of part of a finger--conditions that would not preclude working in many occupations today.

However, veterans' compensation could be viewed as career or lifetime indemnity payments that the federal government owes to people who were disabled to any degree while serving in the armed forces.

Moreover, some disabled veterans might find it difficult to increase their working hours or otherwise make up for the loss of expected compensation payments.

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Get ready my friends..................it's coming! Just like I've been saying all along !