VA will continue to verify war deployments with the Department of Defense (DoD) to protect our Veterans from the backlash against any attempts at fraud. VA is the largest integrated health care system in the Nation and consistently ranks at the top, or near the top for quality and safety by various sources to include seven US News  World Reports’ “Top US hospitals,” and HHS’s & Medicare Hospital Comparison metrics.                                  QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS                                                                           For VA Final Rule AN 32                                                                                “Stressor Determinations for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder”

1.      What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?                                   Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition resulting from exposure to direct or indirect threat of death, serious injury or a physical threat.  The events that can cause PTSD are called "stressors” and may include natural disasters, accidents or deliberate man-made events/disasters, including war.  Symptoms of PTSD can include recurrent thoughts of a traumatic event, reduced involvement in work or outside interests, emotional numbing, hyper-alertness, anxiety and irritability.  The disorder can be more severe and longer lasting when the stress is human initiated action (example: war, rape, terrorism).

2.      What does this final regulation do?                                       This final regulation liberalizes the evidentiary standard for Veterans claiming service connection for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Under current regulations governing PTSD claims, unless the Veteran is a combat Veteran, VA adjudicators are typically required to undertake extensive record development to corroborate whether a Veteran actually experienced the claimed in-service stressor.  This final rulemaking will simplify and improve the PTSD claims adjudication process by eliminating this time-consuming requirement where the claimed stressor is related to “fear of hostile military or terrorist activity,” is consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of their service, and a VA psychiatrist or psychologist, or contract psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the claimed stressor is adequate to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

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