[20170912]IN10772_2018财年预算中影响退伍军人福利的行政部门立法提案.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Executive Branch Legislative Proposals Affecting Veterans Benefits in the FY2018 Budget Scott D. Szymendera Analyst in Disability Policy September 12, 2017 The FY2018 Budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contains two legislative proposals which, if enacted, would affect disability and other types of cash benefits payable by the VA to certain veterans. These proposals would affect both current and future beneficiaries. The proposal to restrict eligibility for Individual Unemployability (IU) would reduce the monthly benefits of affected veterans and the proposed changed to the calculation of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) would reduce the annual growth in benefits. Savings from both proposals would be used to partially offset costs associated with the Veterans Choice Program. Individual Unemployability For the purposes of veterans Disability Compensation, veterans with service-connected disabilities are rated by the VA from 0% to 100%, in 10% increments, based on their level of impairment. Benefits increase with increased ratings. Under current regulations at 38 C.F.R. 4.16, a veteran with one disability