VA Compensation Appeals for Suicidal Ideation – Everything You Need to Know
If you are a military veteran suffering from a mental disorder with suicidal ideation as a symptom, you may be eligible to collect disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). They dispense several benefits to veterans with service-connected medical conditions, including monthly compensation. Suicidal ideation is a feature of many ailments appearing on VA’s list of conditions that qualify for benefits.
Getting these benefits can be difficult. A VA disability advocate can help you file a compelling appeal for benefits. Call (888) 373-4722 today for a free consultation. You do not pay fees until you get the benefits you deserve.*
Filing a VA Disability Appeal for a Mental Disorder Causing Suicidal Ideation
Suicidal ideation does not have its own listing in the VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities, because suicidal ideation is not a disorder itself but a common feature of other ailments. However, it often points to a medical condition that does appear in VA’s Schedule.
VA uses the presence of suicidal ideation as a rating criterion for a number of mental disorders. If you have a mental health diagnosis, the presence of suicidal ideation may cause you to receive a higher impairment rating, and more compensation, than otherwise.
Suicidal ideation often appears as a symptom of psychotic, anxiety or mood disorders. Below are the ailments in each of these three categories that qualify for VA disability benefits.
Psychotic Disorders
- Schizophrenia, disorganized type
- Schizophrenia, catatonic type
- Schizophrenia, paranoid type
- Schizophrenia, undifferentiated type
- Schizophrenia, residual type; other and unspecified types
- Delusional disorder
- Psychotic disorder, not otherwise specified (atypical psychosis)
- Schizoaffective disorder
Anxiety Disorders
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Specific (simple) phobia; social phobia
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Other and unspecified neurosis
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Panic disorder and/or agoraphobia
- Anxiety disorder, not otherwise specified
Mood Disorders
- Cyclothymic disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder/dysthymia
- Major depressive disorder
- Mood disorders, not otherwise specified
If you have a diagnosis of any of these conditions — or any mental ailment not listed above — and suicidal ideation is one of your symptoms, an advocate can help you appeal for VA disability benefits. For a free consultation, call (888) 373-4722 today.
A VA Disability Advocate Can Help Build a Compelling Appeal for Benefits
An advocate will help you prove the three things VA wants to see for a successful appeal:
- You have a mental health diagnosis
- You have experienced a traumatic or troubling event during your military service or your mental health symptoms began during service
- There is a medical nexus between the event and your diagnosis
Let a VA Disability Advocate Help You Get the Highest Possible Disability Rating for Your Suicidal Ideation Mental Disorder
To determine your monthly disability compensation, VA evaluates your medical evidence and assigns you an impairment rating in increments of 10% up to 100%. This rating is based on the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) list of criteria specific to your medical condition.
For mental disorders, one of the criteria influencing impairment ratings is the presence of suicidal ideation. If this symptom is documented in your medical records, you may qualify for a rating of 70%.
The full criteria for a 70% impairment rating are:
A 70 percent VA disability rating results in monthly compensation of $1,426.17 (for a single veteran with no dependents). But the presence of suicidal ideation alone does not guarantee your rating will be 70%; it could be lower or higher based on other factors in your medical records and lay evidence.
A veterans’ disability advocate will help you put together the most compelling appeal, backed by the strongest evidence, so you can receive the highest possible VA impairment rating with the most compensation.
The full VA disability compensation scale as of 2019 is:
- 10% disability rating: $142.29 per month
- 20% disability rating: $281.27 per month
- 30% disability rating: $435.69 per month
- 40% disability rating: $627.61 per month
- 50% disability rating: $893.43 per month
- 60% disability rating: $1,131.68 per month
- 70% disability rating: $1,426.17 per month
- 80% disability rating: $1,657.80 per month
- 90% disability rating: $1,862.96 per month
- 100% disability rating: $3,106.04 per month
To find out more about how Disabled Vets can fight for your benefits and help you get the highest possible rating, call (888) 373-4722 today.
