Veterans with a rare lung disease may soon have an easier time getting disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under new changes proposed this week.
The disease, constrictive bronchiolitis (CB), is linked to toxic burn pit exposure and is covered by the PACT Act, a law passed two years ago to simplify access to care for veterans with service-related illnesses.
However, veterans with CB have faced ongoing obstacles to receiving benefits, a situation the VA is working to address.
CB, also known as obliterative bronchiolitis, is a severe disease where the lungs’ smallest airways become scarred, causing extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and chronic coughing.
It is one of the 23 diseases presumed to be related to military service under the PACT Act, meaning veterans are no longer required to prove service connection for their illness.
Despite this, the absence of a diagnostic code for CB has complicated benefit claims.
The VA’s announcement outlines two key changes: adding a diagnostic code specifically for CB and introducing less invasive diagnostic tests, including measuring oxygen and energy usage during exercise.
These steps, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, are part of a larger effort to ensure veterans receive the benefits they are entitled to.
“We are now delivering more care and more benefits to more veterans than ever before, but we will not rest until every veteran and survivor gets the care and benefits they deserve,” McDonough wrote in a letter to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester.
Currently, diagnosing CB requires a painful lung biopsy.
The addition of new diagnostic methods could make it easier for veterans to obtain accurate disability ratings.
However, the proposed changes must first go through the federal ulemakring process, which could take time as the VA seeks public comment and final approval.
Tester, a long-time advocate for veterans, praised the VA’s move, highlighting that toxic-exposed veterans have waited decades for proper benefits and health care.
This is a critical step forward, but veterans with CB and their advocates remain cautious.
While the VA’s proposed changes address some challenges, many are calling for additional reforms to ensure full recognition and support for those suffering from this debilitating illness.
With the federal rulemaking process underway, veterans and their families hope the new measures will be implemented soon, bringing much-needed relief to those who have already waited too long for proper care.