Using Obesity to Service-Connect Your VA Disability Claims

Are you a veteran with service-related conditions that have caused weight gain? The Department of Veterans Affairs has published a memorandum that may open the door to you getting the benefits you deserve!

For decades, the VA maintained that obesity is not a disability that can be service-connected, for which you can receive VA disability compensation. This has changed in recent years, as the VA’s Office of General Counsel issued a 2017 memorandum that allows veterans to service-connect conditions that are the result of obesity, if the obesity was caused by a service-connected condition.

For many veterans, this means that they can now service-connect their diabetes and sleep apnea – which are two conditions that are commonly caused by obesity. Veterans should consider whether their medications, such as anti-depressants prescribed for their service-connected PTSD, caused weight gain that pre-dated their sleep apnea diagnosis. Other veterans may have gained weight because their service-connected knees or back made it difficult to regularly exercise, leading to a diabetes diagnosis.

Just like any other VA disability claim, obesity-related claims can be an up-hill battle with the VA. Don’t fight the VA alone. The experienced attorneys at Rob Levine & Associates know how to utilize the latest changes in the law to your advantage – and get you the benefits you deserve. Call us today for a free case evaluation!