Proposed law would eliminate benefits deduction for military retirees with combat-related...

The short answer, MAJ Michael Berry, is that they use something called the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. Each set of symptoms has a percentage assigned. The problem is veterans tend to write down the symptoms the vet perceives to be the problems they are having, and may not write down the key words the schedule wants. Than generally means the vet gets a rating that is too low. A good veterans rep may help with that, but the vet may still be screwed ifn the vet's doctor does not write it down correctly in the patient's records.

Yes, I’m we’ll aware of the schedule for ratings disability. The percentages are “fluid” when combined, based on the schedule (and the rater).

MAJ Michael Berry - Actually, combining assigned percentages is complicated, but oh so simple too. You take the highest percentage of the multiple disabilities granted, and that's your starting point. Say your highest percentage is 40% -- you get 40 from that. Then subtract that from 100, leaving 60 stll available. Then, say your next highest is 30%. 30% of the available 60 is 18. Add that to the original 40 and you get 58, which rounds off to 60% if you have no other disabilities. But say you have another 20%, 100 minus 58 is 42. 20% of 42 is 8.4. Add that to 58 and you get 66.4%, which rounds off to 70%. Then say you have a 10%. 100 minus 66 (they rounded off the .4) is 34. 10% of 34 is 3.4. 66 plus 3.4 equals 69.4, which still rounds off to 70%. Clear as mud -- right?