LETTERS TO THE EDITOR It takes ‘more than a note from a doctor’ for veteran to qualify for a disability rating

On Sunday, the Sun-Times reported on property tax exemptions, including exemptions for disabled veterans, with a focus on the exemptions given to Sen. Tammy Duckworth and other Illinois politicians. I am a Vietnam veteran diagnosed with a 100% disability, and I feel that parts of the article may not reflect how difficult it can be for the majority of veterans to receive a favorable disability rating from the Veterans Administration. It takes far more than a note from a doctor.

Further, I believe the majority of veterans who receive disability ratings are average income earners or retirees, not high-income earners. I applied for an increase in my disability rating in January 2020, and it was not approved until May, 2021. That time frame is actually unusual because many cases take years before a decision is granted, and they often involve multiple appeals within the VA and in the federal courts.

The decision in my case was based entirely on medical reports by doctors at the Hines VA Medical Center, where I receive treatments; and it still required two separate medical examinations by medical personnel associated with Logistics Health Incorporated, a firm contracted by the VA to verify the extent of a veteran’s particular disability.

There may be a need to examine whether some income level is appropriate for determining the amount of the tax exemption provided. However, I feel the discussion should be based on an informed understanding of the lengthy process involved in determining VA disability ratings; and the income of most of the veterans who are receiving these tax exemptions.

Robert Whitfield, Hyde Park