Multiple Sclerosis and Veterans Disability | All you Need to Know
Download MP3Physician Assistant and prior C&P examiner Leah Bucholz discusses What to Expect in a TMJ Veterans Disability C&P Exam.
Leah discusses Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Veterans Affairs (VA) disability. She explains that MS, an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system, can be linked to service-related factors, including exposure or symptoms that began during active duty. MS has various types, including Clinically Isolated Syndrome, Relapsing-Remitting MS, Primary Progressive MS, and Secondary Progressive MS, each with distinct characteristics and progression patterns. For VA disability, a current MS diagnosis, an in-service event, and a nexus linking the event to MS are essential. Leah highlights the VA’s presumptive criteria, which considers MS diagnosed within seven years of service exit as service-connected if it’s compensable to a 10% degree. She suggests that medical records can help establish a connection even if diagnosed later.
Leah discusses Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Veterans Affairs (VA) disability. She explains that MS, an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system, can be linked to service-related factors, including exposure or symptoms that began during active duty. MS has various types, including Clinically Isolated Syndrome, Relapsing-Remitting MS, Primary Progressive MS, and Secondary Progressive MS, each with distinct characteristics and progression patterns. For VA disability, a current MS diagnosis, an in-service event, and a nexus linking the event to MS are essential. Leah highlights the VA’s presumptive criteria, which considers MS diagnosed within seven years of service exit as service-connected if it’s compensable to a 10% degree. She suggests that medical records can help establish a connection even if diagnosed later.
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Leah Bucholz
Leah Bucholz is an Army combat veteran, board-certified Physician Assistant, former VA C&P examiner, and the founder of Prestige Veteran Medical Consulting. Through her work in medical evidence review and veteran education, Leah helps veterans better understand the medical side of the VA disability process, including nexus letters, DBQs, C&P exams, and complex medical opinions. She is also the host of The Veterans Disability Nexus podcast, where she discusses VA disability medical evidence from an educational and evidence-based perspective.
