Equity in Veterans Affairs disability claims adjudication in a national sample of veterans.
OBJECTIVE
To address potential equity concerns about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) process for adjudicating military service-related disability claims.


METHODS
Participants were a nationally representative sample of 20,048 veterans completing the 2001 National Survey of Veterans. Sociodemographic, access, and illness correlates of both the award and rate of general disability benefits awarded by the VA were examined using an established theoretical framework.


RESULTS
Sociodemographic, access, and illness variables were associated with both the award ("yes/no") and rate of benefits (0-100%) awarded, with combat exposure, unemployment, and physical impairment accounting for the strongest model effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Veterans' needs were not overshadowed by factors related to demographic background or access (e.g., race, gender, insurance), reducing concerns about disparities in general VA disability disbursements. These data are timely as disability claims/payments will likely increase dramatically in the near future because of current conflicts in the Middle East.
Grubaugh
Anouk L
AL
Ralph H. Johnson VAMC and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, P.O. Box 250861, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Elhai
Jon D
JD
Ruggiero
Kenneth J
KJ
Egede
Leonard E
LE
Naifeh
James A
JA
Frueh
B Christopher
BC
D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000191:economics*; D003710:Demography; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans; D014729:Veterans Disability Claims / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data