Hagans, J. A. and Burst, A. A. Hatcher, S. L... Institute of Life Insurance.... Lew, E. A. and Marks, H. R. Lew, E. A Lew, E. A Lew, E. A. and Weck, F. A. Marks, H. H.. Marks, H. H. The Natural History of Hypertension. Life Insurance Fact Book, 1956, 1957, Public Health Aspects of the 1951 Im- Some Implications of Mortality Statistics Re Glycosuria, Family History of Diabetes, and Life Insurance. Diabetes, Journal of American Diabetes Association, vol. 5, No. 2, pp 130-136. 1956. Marks, H. H. and Shepard, W. P.......... Life Insurance Looks at the Arterio Merritt, H. H.. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. National Academy of Sciences, NRC. Perera, C. A.. sclerosis Problem. Minnesota Medicine, vol. 28, pp 736-742, November 1955. A Textbook of Neurology, 2d edition, 1959. Statistical Bulletin, vol. 37, December Prognosis in Heart Disease. Reprinted a Perry, H. M., Jr., and Schroeder, The Effect of Treatment on Mortality N. A. Puffer, P. R.. Rates in Severe Hypertension. AMA Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 102, No. 3, September 1958, pp. 418-425. Practical Statistics in Health and Medical Work. Reinhard, E. H.. Robb, G. P. and Marks, H. H.... Scheffey, L. C............. Radioactive Phosphorus in the Treatment Smetana, H. F. and Cohen, B. M... Mortality in Relation to Histologic Type Smithwick, R. H., et al. Society of Actuaries. Stamler, J. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare-NOVS. in Hodgkin's Disease. The Journal of Hematology, vol. XI, No. 3, March 1956. Hypertension and Associated Cardiovacular Disease, Comparison of Male and Female Mortality Rates. Journal, AMA, vol. 160, No. 12, March 24, 1956, pp. 1023-1026. Impairment Study, 1951. Health Progress in United States. American Enterprise Association, Inc., No. 439. Epidemiologic Analysis of Patterns of Blood Pressure and Weight Evolution, and Hypertensive and Atherosclerotic Disease Development-30-Year Followup Data on Labor Force of a Chicago Utility Co. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Med. December 1959, pp. 948-949. Life Tables Showing Impact of Specific Diseases on Life Span of. Total Population United States 1949-51. U.S. Department of Health, Educa- Survival Experience of Patients with tion, and Welfare. U.S. Department of Health, Educa- Ungerleider, H. E. and Gubner, R. S. Malignant Neoplasms. Public Health Vital Statistics of United States 1956, Life Insurance and Medicine. 225 125.0 63.0 30.4 24. 3 Subparagraph (s) (House bound cases), Public Law 86-663, effective Sept. 1, 1960 Subparagraph (r), "A and A", nonhospitalization, Public Law 85-782, effective Oct. 1, 1958 SUMMARY OF REVISIONS OF THE DISABILITY RATING SCHEDULE 1. Defective hearing Before 1952, the method of examination for defective hearing involved recording impaired hearing in terms of number of feet at which ordinary conversational voice is heard. Based upon the recognition by our medical and claims staff and sources outside the VA that finer and more accurate methods had been developed for determining hearing loss in audiology clinics, with electro-acoustic instrumentation and competent personnel in attendance, a change was made in the method of hearing examinations to utilize controlled speech reception apparatus in these audiology clinics. At the same time, the provisions of the rating schedule were modified as to the percentage evaluations of disability to conform with the newer concepts as to hearing loss. Where before the change the gradations in evaluation for hearing loss were percentages of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 100, the present gradations are 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 and 80 percent. As to be expected, there have been increases and decreases in evaluation as a result of the audiology clinic examinations. To date, 45,817 cases of hearing impairment have been reviewed with the following results: This change authorized temporary total ratings from the first day of hospitalization where the veteran is hospitalized for service-connected disability for more than 21 days. Also authorized are convalescent total ratings for 30, 60, or 90 days. It is estimated that this change has resulted in increased compensation to approximately 2,000 veterans each year. 3. Marginal ulcer, diagnostic code 7306 This change primarily clarified the requirements for the gradations of disability. The evaluations listed remained unchanged. 4. Postgastrectomy syndromes, diagnostic code 7308 In this change, the requirements for the gradations of disability were clarified and a 20-percent level was added to the already existing 60 and 40 percent levels. This change was based primarily upon the general consensus among gastroenterologists and surgeons that there is no significant disability following a partial gastrectomy for the cure of duodenal or gastric ulcer. At the present time, no statistics are available to establish either the number of cases where a 60- or 40-percent evaluation has been reduced to 20 percent or the number of new claims which have been initially granted 20-percent ratings under this diagnostic code. 5. Paragraph 30, pages 14-2R and 15-R This change authorized temporary total ratings from the first day of hospitalization instead of the date of surgery or immobilization of joints and extended the temporary total ratings from a previous maximum of 90 days following hospital discharge to 180 days. It is estimated that this change has resulted in increased compensation to about 500 veterans each year. 6. Paragraph 40, page 27-R This revision changed the method of measurement of ankylosis and joint motion and involved 13 diagnostic codes of the musculoskeletal system. No change was made in the gradations of disability and the amount of compensation entitlement was not affected. 7. Hypertension, diagnostic code 7101 This change clarified the requirements for the gradations of disability. The gradations remained unchanged and the compensation entitlement has not been significantly affected. |