When a military veteran has a service-connected condition, they may apply for disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, veterans who seek treatment for a service-connected injury or illness, or who have recently separated from military service with a service-connected disability, may obtain temporary disability ratings to provide financial assistance until the veteran recovers or their condition stabilizes. Understanding how temporary total disability ratings work can help veterans secure financial assistance during their recovery.
Understanding Temporary Total Disability Ratings
The VA offers temporary total disability ratings to veterans under certain circumstances. A temporary total disability rating provides a veteran with full disability benefits for a limited period, usually until the veteran recovers from a service-connected injury or illness or until the condition stabilizes and the veteran can apply for regular VA disability benefits. Temporary disability ratings differ from regular VA disability benefits, which apply when a veteran has one or more permanent service-connected conditions unlikely to improve. Temporary disability ratings offer financial support to veterans through their recovery or until they can obtain a permanent VA disability rating.
Situations That May Qualify for Temporary Total Disability
The VA may issue a veteran a temporary total disability rating under various circumstances, including:
Temporary disability rating after surgery or treatment
When a veteran recovers from surgery or treatment at a VA hospital, approved medical facility, or outpatient center for a service-connected disability, they can obtain a temporary total disability rating. A veteran may qualify for a temporary total disability rating after undergoing surgery that required a recovery time of at least one month, and the surgery caused severe issues, such as healing surgical wounds, stumps of recent amputations, therapeutic immobilization, home confinement, or confinement to a wheelchair or crutches. A veteran can also qualify for a temporary total disability rating for non-surgical treatment if they have one or more major joints immobilized by a cast.
Prestabilization rating
A veteran may qualify for temporary total disability if they recently left active military service and they have an unstable, severe service-connected disability (an injury or illness undergoing treatment or that has changing symptoms) and the veteran’s physician expects the unstable condition to last for an indefinite period of time.
How the Rating Period Works
The rating period for temporary total disability may depend on the circumstances under which a veteran receives the rating. When a veteran receives a rating for surgery or other non-surgical treatment, the veteran may receive a temporary total disability rating that lasts for one to three months, depending on the severity of the condition. In the most severe cases, veterans may obtain an extension of their rating for up to an additional three months. Ratings may begin from the date of hospital admission or after the veteran’s discharge from medical treatment. Temporary total disability benefits that serve as a prestabilization rating last for one year after a veteran’s discharge from active service.
What Happens After Recovery?
Once a veteran’s temporary total disability rating ends, their VA disability benefits will return to their regular VA disability rating amount. However, if a veteran received a prestabilization rating, they can apply for regular VA disability benefits to establish a permanent disability rating for their service-connected condition(s).
Contact a VA Disability Benefits Attorney Today
When you undergo treatment for a service-connected condition, you may qualify for a temporary total disability rating as you recover from hospitalization, surgery, or treatment. Contact Veteran’s Legal Center today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a VA disability lawyer to learn more about temporary total disability ratings and how they can help you recover from service-connected conditions without worrying about the financial consequences of injuries or illnesses.