Lawmakers push VA to recognize rare muscle disease

A group of lawmakers is urging the Veterans Affairs Department to recognize inclusion body myositis, a progressive muscle-wasting condition with no known cure, as a service-connected disability. Veterans currently diagnosed with this rare disease cannot access VA disability benefits because it remains absent from the VA's official list of recognized conditions, despite some believing military service may have contributed to or accelerated their illness.

If the VA officially recognizes inclusion body myositis as service-connected, affected veterans could become eligible for monthly disability compensation and VA healthcare coverage, with payment amounts determined by individual disability ratings ranging from 10 to 100 percent. The move would remove a significant barrier that has prevented those with this degenerative condition from accessing benefits tied to their military service.