Little change expected from review board

Disability rating review
Advocates say board is off in certain respects


Little change expected from review board
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Feb 1, 2009 8:37:08 EST

After more than a year of delays, the Defense Department has stood up a new review board meant to help service members who think they received an incorrect rating on their disability retirement claims.

“Service members who have been medically separated since September 11, 2001, will have the opportunity to have their disability ratings reviewed to ensure fairness and accuracy,” the new regulation states.

But veterans’ advocates say the new board misses the mark in certain important respects.

The Physical Disability Board of Review came about after media reports, including one by Military Times, showed that the services’ ratings varied wildly, with Air Force officers consistently getting the highest disability ratings, and the lowest going to enlisted Marines and soldiers — troops bearing the brunt of combat injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A closer look at the numbers showed the Veterans Affairs Department often gave much higher ratings than the Defense Department for the same injuries or illnesses, even though both used the same ratings schedule.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_boardNEW_020209w/%2e