This Is How Veterans Can Receive Benefits for Military Sexual Trauma-Related Conditions

Military sexual trauma is more common than most people realize. Department of Veterans Affairs surveys indicate that one in three female veterans and one in 50 male veterans experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment during their service. Most never reported it. 

Many live with the consequences for years or decades before learning that they may be eligible for VA disability compensation and free health care for conditions caused by what happened to them. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. If you are a veteran who experienced military sexual trauma (MST) but never filed a claim, or filed one that was denied, this is what you need to know.

What MST Is and What It Is Not

Military sexual trauma refers to sexual assault or sexual harassment experienced during military service. It includes rape, unwanted sexual contact, being touched or grabbed in a way that made you uncomfortable, threatening or offensive sexual comments and coerced sexual activity including situations tied to threats of negative treatment or promises of better treatment. MST can happen to anyone regardless of gender, rank or branch. It does not have to involve another service member and does not have to occur on a military installation.

MST itself is not a diagnosis, and it is not a disability. It is the event. What the VA compensates are the conditions that resulted from it: PTSD, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, substance use disorders, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain and other mental or physical health conditions caused or worsened by the trauma. When you file a claim, you file for the condition, not for MST.

The Evidence Standard Is Different

The VA knows that MST is overwhelmingly underreported. Service records were sometimes sanitized. Many survivors did not file reports out of fear of retaliation or because they did not recognize what happened to them at the time. Because of this, the VA applies a relaxed evidence standard to MST-related claims. You do not need a police report, a rape kit, or a service record documenting the assault. 

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The VA will accept what it calls “marker” evidence: indirect signs that something happened. Markers can include records of STD or pregnancy testing around the time of the event, requests for a duty station transfer, a decline in job performance, disciplinary issues that began after the event, substance use that started or increased after the event, treatment records for depression or anxiety, or statements from family, friends, counselors or clergy who were aware of the trauma.

You do not need to have all of these. You do not need to have any of them if a mental health provider can offer a clinical opinion linking your current diagnosis to the MST event. The VA will accept a provider’s opinion that your condition is related to MST as evidence of service connection even without corroborating documentation of the event itself.

How to File

If you have never filed a VA disability claim, start with VA Form 21-526EZ, which you can submit online at VA.gov, by mail, in person at a VA regional office, or with the help of a veterans service organization. Include VA Form 21-0781a, the Statement in Support of Claim for PTSD Secondary to Personal Assault. This form is specifically designed for MST-related claims and allows you to describe what happened, when and where it occurred, and any behavioral changes that followed. You do not need to recall every detail. Share what you can remember, in whatever level of detail you are comfortable with.

If you previously filed an MST-related claim and it was denied, the VA encourages you to request a decision review. The VA has changed how it processes MST claims and has improved specialized training for claim processors. Every VA regional office has both a male and female MST outreach coordinator who can help you file or refile. You can find your regional coordinator through the VA’s MST outreach coordinator directory online.

What Happens After You File

The VA may schedule a Compensation and Pension exam. During the exam, a provider will ask about your experience and how it has affected you. They will document your current symptoms and offer a clinical opinion on whether your condition is connected to the MST. You can request a male or female provider for the exam. Be as open as you can. The examiner’s opinion will carry significant weight in the VA’s decision.

Disability ratings for MST-related conditions follow the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders and range from 0% to 100%. A 100% rating represents total social and occupational impairment. Even a 0% rating, while it does not come with monthly compensation, gives you access to VA health care.

You Can Get Treatment Right Now, Without Filing a Claim

The VA provides free treatment for any mental or physical health condition related to MST. You do not need documentation of the event. You do not need a VA disability rating. You may be eligible for MST-related care even if you are not eligible for other VA services. Every VA medical facility has a VHA MST coordinator who can connect you with care. Local Vet Centers also provide free, confidential counseling for MST survivors. Call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 or visit your nearest VA facility and ask to speak with the MST coordinator.

If you are in crisis, contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255, or chatting at VeteransCrisisLine.net. Support is available 24/7.

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