The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has asked the IOM to convene a committee of experts to examine issues surrounding their compensation program for veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The committee will:

1. review the literature on compensation practices for PTSD including examining the criteria for establishing severity of PTSD as published in the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD);
2. evaluate the basis for assigning a specific level of compensation to specific severity levels and how changes in the frequency and intensity of symptoms affect compensation practices for PTSD;
3. assess how compensation practices and reevaluation requirements for PTSD compare with other chronic conditions which have periods of remission and return of symptoms; and
4. review compensation in the context of strategies used to support recovery and return to function in patients with PTSD.