VA streamlined its process to provide health care and disability compensation for Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with the publication of a final regulation n the Federal Register in July 2010.
The new rule, which applies to Veterans of all eras, will simplify the process for a Veteran to establish service-connection for PTSD by reducing the evidence needed to support a claim.
While each claim will be evaluated and require confirmation by a VA psychiatrist or psychologist, the new process is expected to allow for faster and more accurate decisions to help connect Veterans to medical care and other benefits available through VA.
More than 400,000 Veterans with PTSD currently receive VA compensation benefits. PTSD is an anxiety disorder with symptoms that include recurrent thoughts of traumatic event, emotional numbing, hyper-alertness, anxiety, and irritability.
For more information, go to www.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000.