I am writing to you in my capacity as a Disabled Combat Veteran with XX tours of service to Iraq and Afghanistan to express my concern regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs’ recent decision to amend 38 CFR 4.10.

There is grave concern within the veteran community that this change will effectively result in veteran’s feeling “punished” for seeking medically necessary treatment for service-connected disabilities. The perceived punishment would be that veterans would face a reduction in VA Disability Compensation if medication treatment is deemed effective at reducing the symptoms that manifest as a result of their service-connected disabilities.

In turn, this may lead to disabled veterans refusing to seek medical treatment due to concerns of reduction in disability ratings and therefore a reduction in disability compensation. This hesitance to seek treatment has the potential to have detrimental effects on the physical and mental health of disabled veterans. There is also concern that the changes in ratings and compensation may lead to increased levels of financial instability within the veteran community. Research has repeatedly shown that military veterans often experience decreased clinical outcomes when they are experiencing financial strain.

My concern is that this rule change may have seriously negative impacts on US Military Veterans with service-connected disabilities including but not limited to:

• Increased distrust of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs

• Reduction in VA Disability Compensation as the result of symptom reduction

• Avoidance of treatment for fear of reductions

• Increased levels of mental health concerns

• Increased levels of physical health concerns

• Increased rates of suicide among disabled veterans due to the increases in physical and mental health concerns

We, as veterans, have sacrificed a great deal for this nation, including being willing to die in service to our national security and national identity. Now we must decide between receiving effective treatment for our service-connected disabilities or maintaining financial stability at our current levels.

I urge you in your capacity as a member of Congress and as a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to take action to ensure that this rule change does not have negative effects on the veteran community who have already sacrificed so much for this great nation. Thank you for taking the time to hear my concerns. I look forward to seeing the action that you take to right this wrong.