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Changes from the M-21 dated May 1st showing the VA just made secondary vet claims significantly more difficult to be service connected

The Quiet Tightening: How M-21-1 Updates After Spicer v. McDonough Raised the Bar on Secondary Service Connection Claims

The Spicer v. McDonough ruling looked like a win for veterans. But buried in the M-21-1 manual updates that followed, the VA quietly tightened the evidentiary bar on all secondary service connection claims — including 3.310(a), which had nothing to do with the case.

Dennis SpohnFounder

May 2, 2026

veterans taking their medication for their vet claims can now be punished due to a new rule chaneg

VA News & Policy

The VA's New Rule Punishes Veterans for Taking Their Medication

Your disability rating is now based on how you function on your meds — not what your condition actually looks like without them. VA bypassed public comment to make this change effective immediately, overriding a decade of court decisions that protected veterans.

Dennis SpohnFounder

February 17, 2026