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Rep. Subramanyam backs VA reversal on disability rule
Rescission follows backlash over policy requiring medication effects in ratings decisions.
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Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 27, Feb 2026
- 01:49 EST
- 15
Virginia State Senator Suhas Subramanyam / Courtesy: Wikipedia
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said the Department of Veterans Affairs’ decision to reverse a disability ratings rule is “welcome news” after widespread criticism from veterans and lawmakers.
In a statement posted on X, Subramanyam said, “This is welcome news.” He said the VA reversed course “only after an outcry from thousands of veterans, their families, and outraged members of Congress like me.” He added that the original proposal was “deeply flawed,” and said it effectively pressured veterans to choose between medication and the full benefits they have earned.
“Veterans’ benefits should never hinge on how their medication happens to be working on a given day,” he said. “These benefits were earned through service and sacrifice. Our commitment to care for those who served should not be conditional.”
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Subramanyam said he spoke out on the issue on the House floor and added, “I will continue to fight against any effort to shortchange our veterans.”
A regulation that would have required VA medical examiners to include the effects of medication when assigning disability ratings is expected to be formally rescinded Feb. 27. According to an advance Federal Register notice, the rescission will take effect immediately upon publication, expected early Friday morning.
The rule, published Feb. 17, drew backlash from veterans, advocacy groups and lawmakers who said it could financially penalize veterans who follow prescribed treatment or encourage some to stop taking medication before compensation exams.
In the notice, VA officials said the rule was intended to clarify existing policy but acknowledged that “stakeholders have expressed uncertainty” about its impact. Leaving the rule in place during the codification process, the notice said, “could undermine confidence in the benefits system.”
The VA said the regulation formalized a practice in place since 1958 and was needed after a 2025 court ruling in Ingram v. Collins held that the VA must discount the positive effects of medication when issuing disability ratings.
Major veterans groups, including Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, opposed the rule. Nearly 20,000 comments were submitted to the Federal Register urging its withdrawal.
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