More KC veterans have health problems tied to military service
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Nearly 1 in 3 KC-area veterans have a service-connected disability, up from about 1 in 5 a decade ago, new census data shows.
The big picture: Veterans who served after 9/11 now make up about a third of the metro's veterans, nearly double their share a decade ago.
- They're more likely than other veterans to have a service-connected disability, even after accounting for age and health, according to a 2020 Census Bureau analysis.
Zoom in: About 32,000 local veterans reported having a VA disability rating, up from around 25,000 a decade earlier, according to the American Community Survey.
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs scores each rating from 0% to 100% based on how severe a service-connected condition is, and the rating sets a veteran's monthly disability pay.
- The number rated 70% or higher rose about 80%, to around 15,000.
- Meanwhile, the total number of veterans fell about 20%, to roughly 105,000, as Vietnam-era veterans declined by about a third.
Between the lines: More veterans are ending up with disability ratings in part because battlefield medicine saves more wounded troops and screening for post-traumatic stress and brain injuries has improved, a Syracuse University researcher told Military.com in 2019.
Zoom out: The 2022 PACT Act expanded benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic hazards, according to the VA.
- Burn pits were open-air fires used to destroy trash on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Agent Orange was an herbicide the U.S. sprayed during the Vietnam War.
- Veterans and survivors filed a record of about 2.4 million claims in 2023, up 39% from the year before, which the VA credited to its largest outreach campaign ever.
What's next: Veterans can check whether they qualify under the PACT Act at VA.gov/PACT or by calling 800-698-2411.
Go deeper: Map: Where America's veterans live