A spirometer for testing lung function eterans Affairs department officials said Monday they have launched a study to determine how removing race from widely used lung function tests may affect disability benefits for veterans, and they expect the impact to be much smaller than predicted in a study published earlier this year.
They also said veterans who may have heard about the issue should not be concerned about any sudden changes to their benefits. Any changes, said Olumayowa Famakinwa, who oversees implementation of the VA’s rating schedule for disabilities, would come with ample notification and the ability for veterans to appeal.
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“If I was talking to a veteran, I’d say, give us some time, but we’ll figure it out for sure and you can remain confident you will get the benefits you’ve earned,” he said.
In 2023, in response to outcries that using race in pulmonary function tests can underestimate the extent of disease in Black patients, and to a smaller extent in Asian patients, the American Thoracic Society released new guidelines stating that the use of race was contributing to health disparities and should be ended. A race-based equation had long been used to guide interpretations of results from spirometry tests and over time were built into the software of the machines.
The tests are used to help diagnose lung disease and guide treatment decisions, as well as in determining disability payments.
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A study published in May in the New England Journal of Medicine analyzed how a race-free equation might affect patients. Using data from a large population study, the authors estimated that the change could affect more than 400,000 veterans and lead to redistribution of nearly $2 billion dollars, with 17% more overall going to Black veterans and just over 1% less going to white veterans.
Newsletters Sign up for Morning Rounds Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day Privacy Policy In an interview with STAT, veterans officials said they thought the study had vastly overestimated the number of veterans who were entitled to benefits and the amount that benefits might change for individuals, because the researchers […]
VA disputes claim that removing race from lung tests would greatly alter disability payments
