Public Health
All compensation and pension medical examiners now taking training on Gulf War illness
To ensure that compensation and pension (C&P) medical examiners are prepared to conduct the Gulf War general medical exam, all examiners are required to take a 90-minute, web-based course on Gulf War illnesses. This training is specifically for clinician examiners and emphasizes the specific details that the Veterans Benefits Administration asks for as a part of the disability rating process.
Clinicians need to take this course to obtain or maintain credentialing to perform compensation and pension exams. All clinician examiners, even those unlikely to directly perform Gulf War-related exams, such as audiologists, are required to take this course. The goal is for all clinicians performing compensation and pension exams to have a better understanding of Gulf War illnesses.
This change is in response to recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office in their report entitled “Gulf War Illness: Improvements Needed for VA to Better Understand, Process, and Communicate Decisions on Claims.”
C&P is distinct from Environmental Health Registry Exams
In addition to a C&P exam, a different type of exam called an Environmental Health Registry exam is also available to Gulf War Veterans. For benefits, a C&P exam is required. A Gulf War Registry health exam is designed to identify and build a registry of Veterans with service during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm that may allow for further studies related to health outcomes for this conflict. It is also designed to help Veterans understand how environmental exposures may impact their health. The findings from this exam are not used in the C&P/claims process.
Some Veterans who participate in the Gulf War Registry health exam may have no medical issues related to their Gulf War service, and some may note problems they associate with their service. All Veterans will receive a follow-up letter explaining the findings from their exam, and a health professional can answer questions about the results. Learn more about the Gulf War Registry health exam at: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/benefits/registry-exam.asp.
