(ALS), also disease, is a a. Definition of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis called Lou Gehrig’s ALS neuromuscular disease that causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and spontaneous muscle activity. Effective September 23, 2008, established a presumption of SC for ALS for b. Establishing Presumptive any Veteran who SC for ALS had active, continuous service of 90 days or more, and develops the disease at any time after discharge from active service ALS is evaluated under . c. Assigning a 100 Percent Minimum Effective January 19, 2012, the diagnostic criteria for ALS was amended in Evaluation for to provide a 100 percent evaluation for any Veteran with SC ALS. A ALS diagnosis of ALS alone is sufficient to support an evaluation of 100 percent. A total disability evaluation is the minimum evaluation to be assigned for ALS because of the possibility of SMC and automatic entitlement to ancillary benefits. This rule will be applied to all cases pending before VA on or after, Note: January 19, 2012, and constitute a liberalizing VA regulation under and does for determination of effective dates and retroactive benefits. Determine the proper evaluation for all complications of ALS prior to coding d. Evaluation Guidelines for a single 100 percent evaluation under . Refer to the table below for guidance. ALS If ... Then ... there is no complication warranting a single assign a 100 percent evaluation under , and 100 percent evaluation include all compensable complications in the description of the diagnosis. ALS with loss of use of the left Example: foot and partial ninth cranial nerve paralysis. a single 100 percent evaluation is warranted assign a 100 percent evaluation for that for a complication of ALS complication. Use a hyphenated DC. 8017-5110, loss of use of both Example: feet. separately evaluate additional complications. Do not assign a separate evaluation under alone; this would be pyramiding under .
a. Definition of ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neuromuscular disease that causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and spontaneous muscle activity. b. Establishing Presumptive SC for ALS Effective September 23, 2008, established a presumption of SC for ALS for any Veteran who had active, continuous service of 90 days or more, and develops the disease at any time after discharge from active service c. Assigning a 100 Percent Minimum Evaluation for ALS ALS is evaluated under . Effective January 19, 2012, the diagnostic criteria for ALS was amended in to provide a 100 percent evaluation for any Veteran with SC ALS. A diagnosis of ALS alone is sufficient to support an evaluation of 100 percent. A total disability evaluation is the minimum evaluation to be assigned for ALS because of the possibility of SMC and automatic entitlement to ancillary benefits. Note: This rule will be applied to all cases pending before VA on or after, January 19, 2012, and does constitute a liberalizing VA regulation under and for determination of effective dates and retroactive benefits. d. Evaluation Guidelines for ALS Determine the proper evaluation for all complications of ALS prior to coding a single 100 percent evaluation under . Refer to the table below for guidance. If ... Then ... there is no complication warranting a single 100 percent evaluation assign a 100 percent evaluation under , and include all compensable complications in the description of the diagnosis. Example: ALS with loss of use of the left foot and partial ninth cranial nerve paralysis. a single 100 percent evaluation is warranted for a complication of ALS assign a 100 percent evaluation for that complication. Use a hyphenated DC. Example: 8017-5110, loss of use of both feet. separately evaluate additional complications. Do not assign a separate evaluation under alone; this would be pyramiding under .