House bill would cut disability ratings for veterans' sleep apnea and tinnitus claims

A bill the House passed on Veterans Day would lower disability ratings for some veterans who file claims for sleep apnea or tinnitus. The Take Care of America's Veterans Act, H.R. 9237, cleared the House by voice vote on November 11. It is not law yet and still needs Senate approval and the president's signature ¹.

Section 108 would tell the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to rewrite its rating rules for the two conditions. The new rules would apply to claims filed on or after October 1, 2026, including some filed before the bill becomes law ¹.

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What would change

Today, sleep apnea that requires a breathing machine, such as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, qualifies for a 50 percent rating ¹. Under the bill, a CPAP machine alone would no longer be enough. A veteran would get 0 percent if there are no symptoms, even without treatment, and 10 percent if treatment gives incomplete relief ¹.

A 50 percent rating would be limited mainly to cases where treatment does not work. It could also apply when another medical condition keeps a veteran from using a treatment that normally works ¹.

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Tinnitus, a ringing or other sound in the ears, now earns its own 10 percent rating. The bill would end that in most cases. It would keep 10 percent only when tinnitus is tied to service-connected hearing loss that would otherwise rate 0 percent ¹.

The dollar effect would differ for each veteran, because the VA combines ratings instead of adding them. For a veteran with no dependents, the VA's 2026 table pays $180.42 a month at a 10 percent overall rating and $1,132.90 at 50 percent. Those are totals, not amounts paid for each condition ¹.

No current payment changes just because the House passed the bill. The bill also protects compensation already in effect the day before enactment from being cut because of these revisions ¹.

Who is objecting

The package also expands benefits. Eligible combat-injured military retirees could receive retirement pay alongside VA disability pay. Supporters describe the rating changes as offsets for the package's costs ¹.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) opposes the bill, saying it would cut earned benefits ¹. In June, the group said VA estimates showed the changes could cut payments by about $57 billion over ten years and affect up to 1.5 million veterans ³.

A grateful nation pays its debts to veterans; it does not send them the invoice.

Rep. Mark Takano of California, the top Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, criticized the package in June. His office said it would reduce veterans' benefits by at least $60 billion over ten years ².

The Republican plan cuts existing veterans' benefits to fund new ones

That matters because the cuts would land on veterans who file claims later, who are often people now in their 50s and 60s. They would not touch those already paid. The pattern is that new benefits for one group are being paid for by cutting what a different group of veterans can claim.

Next, the Senate has a companion bill, S. 4744 ². A voice vote means no individual House member's position was recorded ¹.

The Record

1. Jun 11, 2026The VFW and House Democrat Mark Takano publicly oppose the rating changes in the bill ²³.
2. Oct 1, 2026Claims filed on or after this date would fall under the revised criteria if the bill becomes law ¹.
3. Nov 11, 2026The House passes H.R. 9237 by voice vote on Veterans Day; it still needs Senate approval and a presidential signature ¹.

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<h2>House bill would cut disability ratings for veterans&#39; sleep apnea and tinnitus claims</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/house-bill-would-cut-disability-ratings-for-veterans-sleep-apnea-and-tinnitus-claims">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 12, 2026.</em></p> <p>A bill the House passed on Veterans Day would lower disability ratings for some veterans who file claims for sleep apnea or tinnitus. The Take Care of America&#39;s Veterans Act, H.R. 9237, cleared the House by voice vote on November 11. It is not law yet and still needs Senate approval and the president&#39;s signature .</p> <p>Section 108 would tell the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to rewrite its rating rules for the two conditions. The new rules would apply to claims filed on or after October 1, 2026, including some filed before the bill becomes law .</p> <h2>What would change</h2> <p>Today, sleep apnea that requires a breathing machine, such as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, qualifies for a 50 percent rating . Under the bill, a CPAP machine alone would no longer be enough. A veteran would get 0 percent if there are no symptoms, even without treatment, and 10 percent if treatment gives incomplete relief .</p> <p>A 50 percent rating would be limited mainly to cases where treatment does not work. It could also apply when another medical condition keeps a veteran from using a treatment that normally works .</p> <p>Tinnitus, a ringing or other sound in the ears, now earns its own 10 percent rating. The bill would end that in most cases. It would keep 10 percent only when tinnitus is tied to service-connected hearing loss that would otherwise rate 0 percent .</p> <p>The dollar effect would differ for each veteran, because the VA combines ratings instead of adding them. For a veteran with no dependents, the VA&#39;s 2026 table pays $180.42 a month at a 10 percent overall rating and $1,132.90 at 50 percent. Those are totals, not amounts paid for each condition .</p> <p>No current payment changes just because the House passed the bill. The bill also protects compensation already in effect the day before enactment from being cut because of these revisions .</p> <h2>Who is objecting</h2> <p>The package also expands benefits. Eligible combat-injured military retirees could receive retirement pay alongside VA disability pay. Supporters describe the rating changes as offsets for the package&#39;s costs .</p> <p>The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) opposes the bill, saying it would cut earned benefits . In June, the group said VA estimates showed the changes could cut payments by about $57 billion over ten years and affect up to 1.5 million veterans .</p> <blockquote><p>A grateful nation pays its debts to veterans; it does not send them the invoice.</p><p>&mdash; Carol Whitmore, National Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars</p></blockquote> <p>Rep. Mark Takano of California, the top Democrat on the House Veterans&#39; Affairs Committee, criticized the package in June. His office said it would reduce veterans&#39; benefits by at least $60 billion over ten years .</p> <blockquote><p>The Republican plan cuts existing veterans&#39; benefits to fund new ones</p><p>&mdash; Mark Takano, Ranking Member, House Veterans&#39; Affairs Committee, D-California</p></blockquote> <p>That matters because the cuts would land on veterans who file claims later, who are often people now in their 50s and 60s. They would not touch those already paid. The pattern is that new benefits for one group are being paid for by cutting what a different group of veterans can claim.</p> <p>Next, the Senate has a companion bill, S. 4744 . A voice vote means no individual House member&#39;s position was recorded .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/house-bill-would-cut-disability-ratings-for-veterans-sleep-apnea-and-tinnitus-claims">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/house-bill-would-cut-disability-ratings-for-veterans-sleep-apnea-and-tinnitus-claims.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “Veterans Bill Could Reduce Disability Benefits For Some Conditions” (2026-11-12). newsweek.com/veterans-bill-could-reduce-disability-benefits-
2. House Veterans' Affairs Committee Democrats, “Ranking Member Takano warns against Republican bid to strip veterans of their disability benefits” (2026-06-11). democrats-veterans.house.gov/news/press-releases/ranking-mem
3. Veterans of Foreign Wars, “VFW Strongly Opposes Disability Benefit Cuts Included in Proposed Take Care of America's Veterans Act” (2026-06-11). vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2026/6/vfw

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