Comment on VA-2026-VACO-0001-0181 (Anonymous)
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Summary: The commenter argues that veterans' disability ratings should be based on the severity of their underlying conditions rather than the effectiveness of their treatments. They express concern that rewarding symptom management with lower ratings could discourage veterans from seeking necessary medical care.
Veterans should be rated based on the underlying severity of their service-connected disabilities, not how well medication or treatment temporarily masks symptoms. Many treatments reduce symptoms without curing the condition and often come with side effects, costs, and lifelong dependence. Reducing ratings because treatment is effective would unfairly penalize veterans for following medical advice and could discourage treatment.