08/07/2026
If you filed a claim recently, received a decision you disagree with, or are waiting for a decision letter, please listen.
The VA can make mistakes, sometimes they catch it, sometimes they don’t.
The OIG conducted this review to determine whether VBA claims processors correctly assigned noncompensable evaluations for service-connected musculoskeletal joint disabilities—the most common service-connected disabilities among veterans. When service connection is warranted, a claims processor evaluates the veteran’s claim and assigns a disability percentage. If the evaluation determines a disability is compensable, it may result in monthly payments to the veteran. If there is no evidence of limited or painful range of motion, a noncompensable evaluation is assigned, and the veteran does not receive payment for that disability.The OIG found that claims processors incorrectly evaluated noncompensable joint disabilities based on painful motion about 50 percent of the time from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Furthermore, the OIG team confirmed that as of November 2025, VBA continued to experience similar errors for noncompensable joint disabilities. These errors resulted in an estimated monetary impact of at least $45 million in underpayments to veterans. That said, VBA reported in March 2026 that all errors identified by the OIG had been corrected as of February 2026.The errors occurred because many claims processors misunderstood how to properly apply key regulatory provisions governing painful motion under 38 C.F.R. § 4.59. Staff reported confusion about how to weigh subjective reports of pain versus objective medical findings and how to determine when pain alone warrants a compensable rating. Regulations were inconsistently interpreted not only among claims processors in regional offices but also among staff from several offices in VBA’s Compensation Service. The OIG also found that unclear terminology in VBA’s procedures and rating tools contributed to the problem..
