Veteran's Benefit Administration

Office of Performance Analysis Integrity
Data and Information System

May 2002  Gulf War Veterans Information
September 10, 2002

Table of  Contents

Section                           Description

          One..............                   Executive Summary 

                       Two..............                  Data Sources                       

              Three..............                Terms and Definitions  

           Four................               Report Categories   

                      Five.................              May 2002 GWVIS Reports

Section One

Executive Summary

Purpose

The Gulf War Veterans Information System (GWVIS) provides accurate and timely data and information reports identifying the Gulf War service member population and monitoring their compensation and pension benefit utilization.

GWVIS reports are prepared every three months (February, May, August, and November) by the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) Office of Performance Analysis and Integrity (PA&I), Data and Information Services (D&IS).

GWVIS reports do not contain information about individual veterans.

Report Preparation

D&IS uses the following steps to prepare GWVIS reports.

1. Every three months, the Department of Defense (DoD) sends D&IS an updated list identifying all past and current military service members since August 2, 1990 the start of the Gulf War.
   

2. The DoD list of service members is compared with VBA compensation and pension benefit information systems.
   

3. D&IS uses the results from the comparison to prepare reports about Gulf War veterans and their compensation and pension benefit utilization sorted by [couldn't read word]     Gulf War cohorts.

History

In 1997, VA's Office of Policy and Planning, working with VBA, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and other VA organizational elements, created GWVIS to identify Gulf War service members and monitor, in part, their compensation and pension benefit utilization.

GWVIS reports are consistent with the "Veterans Health Care Act of 1992" (Pub. Law 102-585) in identifying Gulf War service members and reporting on various aspects of their benefits claims and related outcomes.

D&IS continues to work closely with VA's Office of Policy and Planning to resolve differences in the number of estimated veterans counted in GWVIS and those shown as GW veterans in VETPOP 2001.

Notice of GWVIS changes

• Prevalence Reports

             Data and Information Services enhanced the reporting of all Gulf War service connected conditions. Users of the GWVIS Intranet web site can
             view detailed reports  identifying the prevalence of service connected conditions by VBA diagnostic code. In addition users of web can export data
             to Microsoft excel spreadsheets.

             Please refer to the GWVIS Report Description section for details regarding the categories, use and limitations of these reports. Because of their
             large size, only a sample of Prevalence Report s is included.

• Kamisiyah data

            The previously reported data related to Kamisiyah have been temporarily removed. The Compensation  and Pension Service is in the process of
            conducting a comprehensive  review of Kamisiyah data. The results should be available in the report of November 2002.

May 2002 GWVIS Summary Report

Section Two

Data Sources

D& IS uses data from the Department Of Defense (DoD)  and Veterans Affairs (VA) to prepare GWVIS reports. The list below identifies the DOD and VA sources used.

DOD Defense Manpower Data Center (DSMDC):

• Active Duty Master File

• Active Duty Loss File

• Reserve Components Common Personnel Data Systems

• Operation Desert Shield/Storm Files

• Operation Mission/Contingency files

• Al Jubayl Files

VAs veterans Benefit Administration

• Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS)

• Compensation and Pension Master Record (CPMR)

• Pending Issue File (PIF)

Section Three

Terms and Definitions, and limitations

Activated Reservist Separations

A subset of service member separations. Activated Reservists Separations identifies only current and former Reserve and and National Guard personnel with a discharge who were called to active duty on or after Aug 2,1990.

All activated reservists are counted, regardless of:

• Length of enlistment

• Reenlistment

• Character of service

• Death

Limitations

In some cases, DMDC cannot determine if a service member enlisted directly into active duty or if a service member was activated from the Reserves or National Guard. In those cases, the service members are counted under Active Duty Separations.

Active Duty Separations

is a subset of service member separations. Active Duty Separations identifies current and former active duty personnel with a discharge and service on or after Aug 2 1990.

All Active Duty Separations are counted, regardless of :

• Length of enlistment

• Re enlistment

• Character of service

• Death

Limitations

In some cases, DMDC cannot determine if a service member enlisted directly into active duty or if a service member was activated from the Reserves or National Guard. In those cases, the service members are counted under Active Duty Separations.

Claims Denied

Denied when VA determines none of the veterans conditions met eligibility requirements under VA regulations. This denial is called "nonservice connected" or "NSC."

Claims Filed

Claims filed equals the total of claims granted, claims denied, and claims pending.

Claims Granted

A veteran's claim is Granted when VA determines at least one of the veteran's conditions meets eligibility requirements under VA regulations. This grant is called "service connected" or "SC"

Veterans frequently file a claim for more than one condition. For veterans who filed a claim for more than one condition, this category contains veterans with a full grant of all conditions as well as veterans with a combination of grants and denials.

Disabilities are evaluated according to VA regulations, and the extent of the disability is expressed as a percentage from zero percent to 100 percent, in increments of 10 percent. Granted includes all service connected disabilities, from zero percent to 100 percent, regardless of whether the veteran receives monetary compensation.

Claims Pending

Claims Pending identifies where VA is reviewing a veteran's claim for compensation or pension benefits. This includes appealed and reopened claims.

Claims Processed

Claims processed equals the total of claims Granted and Claims denied. Claims processed does not include pending claims.

Conflict

Conflict is a subset of deployed. Conflict identifies active duty service members deployed to Southwest Asia during the 1st year of the Gulf War, from August 2, 199o through July 31, 1991. This includes Active Duty, Activated Reservists, and National Guard.

Limitations:

VA defines the Southwest Asia theater as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations. However DOD uses a different and frequently changing definition.

[Comment Note:  Israel not included]

Deaths

Identifies Deaths within the estimated Veteran population reported to VA by various official sources. Deaths is a new reporting category as of Jan 2001

Limitations

These counts reflect raw data that has not been subjected to any statistical analysis nor has it been adjusted in any way to make it a mortality study. There has been no adjustment to account for age, gender, race, and other items required for a valid mortality study. In addition, the data will not reflect deaths that occurred after March 2002. The use of the data to draw conclusions regarding mortality rates will result in inaccurate conclusions. For analysis of Gulf War veteran mortality see "Mortality among US veterans of the Persian Gulf War: 7 year Follow up Hans K Kang and Tim A Bellman, American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001. 154 (5):399-405

Deployed

Deployed  identifies active duty service members who served at least one day in the SW Asia theater of operations from August 2, 1990 through the present. Deployed includes activated Reserve and National Guard. Deployed equals the total of the Conflicts and Theater Categories

Limitation

VA defines the SW Asia theater as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman. Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the red sea, and the airspace above these locations. However, DOD uses a different and frequently changing definition. In January 2001, a coding error in DOD reporting systems was identified by VBA. As a result, VBA re coded 10,482 individuals from Gulf War Theater to Gulf War ERA

ERA

ERA identifies service members who did not deploy to the Gulf War. This includes Active Duty, Activated Reserve and National Guard, and non activated Reserve and National Guard.

Limitations:

In Jan 2001, a coding error in DOD reporting systems was identified by VBA As a result, VBA recoded 10,482 individuals from Gulf War Theater to Gulf War Era.

Estimated Veterans

Estaminated Veterans is a subset of the service member population. It identifies individuals with active duty service and a discharge on or after August 2, 1990. Estimated Veterans includes service members called to active duty from the Reserves or National Guard. Subtractions are made for deaths.

Limitations:

As of JAN 2001 Estimated Veterans includes living non activated Reservists and National Guard with a VA service connected condition or who are in receipt of pension. Subtractions are made for deaths from among those non activated Reservists and National Guard who had a VA service connected condition or who were in receipt of pension

As of Jan 2001, Estimated Veterans no longer includes approximately 1.1 million non activated reservists DMDC incorrectly identified as Active duty.

Non-Activated Reservist Separations

Non activated Reservists Separations is a subset of Service Member Separations. Non Activated Reservists Separations identifies individuals with current and former reserve components service including National Guard and a discharge on or after Aug 2 1990.

All non activated reservist separations are counted regardless of:

• Length of enlistment

• Re-enlistment

• Character of service

• Death

Non- activated Reservists Separations is a new category as of Jan 2001

Nonservice -connected - No Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where VA determined none of the veterans conditions are related to military service. This denial is called "nonservice -connected" or "NSC." The veteran does not qualify for a disability pension.

Non Service -Connected Receiving Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where VA determines the veteran conditions were not related to military service. This denial is called "nonservice -connected" or "NSC." However the veteran qualifies for a pension due to a nonservice connected disability and income qualifications.

Service Connected Ten percent - No Compensation or Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service connected condition at ten percent or higher. However the veteran is not in receipt of compensation or pension payments. For example, this category includes service connected military retiree veterans who are entitled to VA compensation but who elected not to receive it. It also includes veterans with disability severance pay who are on the Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL) and the Permament Disability Retirement List (PDRL)

Service connected Ten percent - With Compensation or Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service connected condition at ten percent or higher and the veteran receives compensation or pension payments.

Service Connected Zero Percent  -- With Compensation or Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service connected condition at zero percent the veteran qualifies for pension payments based on disability and income or the veteran qualifies for compensation based on VA regulations for multiple zero percent conditions.

Service Connected - Zero Percent No Compensation or Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service connected condition at zero percent (0%).  However the veteran does not qualify for compensation or pension payments.

Service Members

Service Memebers identifies individuals with military service on or after Aug 2 1990, the start of the Gulf War.

This includes:

• Army, Navy, AF, USMC, CG

• Active duty, Activated Reservists and National Guard and Non Activated Reservists and National Guard.

All service members are counted regardless of:

• Length of enrollment,

• Reenlistment,

• Character of service,

• Death

VA identifies service members because they may be eligible for VA benefits (education, life insurance, home loan guaranty, and compensation and pension under certain conditions.

Limitations

In Jan 2001, service members was adjusted to include approximately 800,000 non activated reservists previously unidentified by DMDC.

Individuals in the Public health service or in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are not identified or counted as service members.

Service Member Separations

Service member Separations is a subset of service members. Service members separations identifies individuals with a discharge from military service on or after Aug 2 1990.

Service member separation equals the sum of three categories:

• Active duty separations,

• Activated Reservists Separations (includes activated National Guard),

• Non activated Reservists separations (includes nonactivated National Guard)

All service members are counted regardless of:

• Length of enrollment,

• Reenlistment,

• Character of service,

• Death

Theater

Theater is a subset of Deployed. Theater identifies active duty service members who deployed to Southwest Asia since the 2nd yr. of the Gulf War, Aug 1 1991 until present. This includes Active Duty as well as activated reservists and national guard. Service members who served in both the conflict and the theater time periods are reported only under conflict.

Limitations

Re: definition of theater of operations as stated previously in this section.  

VA defines the Southwest Asia theater as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United ARab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the airspace above these locations. However, DoD uses a different and frequently changing definition.

In Jan 2001 a coding error in DOD reporting systems was identified by VBA. As a result, the VBA recoded 10,482 individuals from Gulf War Theater to Gulf War Era.

Total

Total equals the sum of the categories deployed and era.

Undiagnosed Claims Denied

An Undiagnosed Claim is Denied when VA determines none of the veterans undiagnosed conditions met eligibility requirements under VA regulations. This denial is called "non service connected" or "NSC".

Limitations there may be overlap between Undiagnosed Claims denied and Claims granted. This happens when a veteran had all undiagnosed conditions denied and has at least one diagnosed condition granted.

Undiagnosed Claims Granted

A veterans undiagnosed claim is granted when VA determines at least one of the veterans undiagnosed conditions meets eligibility requirements under VA regulations. This grant is called "service connected "or "SC."

This category is a subset of Claims Granted because the veteran has at least one granted condition. There are 35 different types of undiagnosed conditions under VA regulations and Gulf War veterans frequently claim more than one undiagnosed condition.

For veterans who filled a claim for more than one undiagnosed condition this category contains veterans with a full grant of all undiagnosed conditions as well as veterans with a combination of grants and denials for undiagnosed conditions.

Disabilities are evaluated according to VA regulations and the extent of the disability is expressed as a percentage from zero to 100 in increments of 10. Undiagnosed claims granted includes all service connected undiagnosed disabilities, from zero to 100, regardless if the veteran receives compensation.

Undiagnosed Nonservice Connected - Receiving Compensation or Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where VA determines the veteran's undiagnosed condition(s) did not meet VA regulations. This denial is called "nonservice connected" or "NSC."

However the veteran qualified for a pension due to a disability and low income or the veteran was granted service connection for a diagnosed condition.

Limitations:

There may be overlap between the category undiagnosed nonservice connected Receiving Compensation or pension and the category claims granted. This happens when a veteran had all undiagnosed conditions denied and has at least one diagnosed condition granted.

Limitation:

There may be overlap between undiagnosed claims denied and claims granted. This happens when a veteran had all undiagnosed conditions denied and has at least one diagnosed condition granted.

Undiagnosed Claims Granted

A Veteran's Undiagnosed Claim is granted when VA determines at least one of the veterans undiagnosed conditions meets eligibility requirements under VA regulations. This grant is called "service connected" or "SC."

This category is a subset of Claims granted because the Veteran has at least one granted condition. There are 35 different types of diagnosed conditions under VA regulations and Gulf War veterans frequently claim more than one undiagnosed condition.

For veterans who filed a claim for more than one undiagnosed condition, this category contains veterans with a full grant of all undiagnosed conditions as well as veterans with a combination of grants and denials for undiagnosed conditions.

Disabilities are evaluated according to VA regulations, and the extent of the disabilities is expressed as a percentage from 0 to 100 percent, in increments of 10 percent. Undiagnosed Claims granted includes all service connected undiagnosed disabilities from 0 to 100, regardless if the veteran receives compensation

Undiagnosed Nonservice connected - Receiving Compensation or Pension

This category identifies the number of veterans where Va determined the veterans undiagnosed conditions did not meet VA regulations. This denial is called "nonservice connected" or "NSC."

However the veteran qualified for a pension due to disability and low income, or the veteran was granted service connection for a diagnosed condition.

Limitations:

There may be overlaped between the category Undiagnosed Non service connected Receiving Compensation or Pension and the category claims granted. This happens when a veteran had all undiagnosed conditions denied and has at least one diagnosed condition granted.

Section Four

Report Categories

GWVIS Reports are prepared for all categories shown below except "Other Conflict."

The category "Other Conflict" identifies a subset of conflict service members not located at or near AL Jubayl

• "Total" equals the Sum of  "ERA" (nondeployed) and "deployed"

• Deployed equals the sum of  "Conflict" and  "Theater"

• "Conflict" equals the sum of "Other Conflict" and "Al  Jubayl"

Total service members 8/3/90 till present     =      Era non deployed service members 8-2-90 to present    +     Deployed active duty only 8-2-90 to present

Deployed  = Conflict Desert Shield and Storm 1st yr only 8/2/90 thru 7/31/91   +    Theater other deployments starting 2nd yr 8-1-91 to present

Conflict  =   Other Conflict not Al Jubyal 8-2-90 to 7-31-91   +    Al Jubayl  Saudi Arabia  1/19/91

Section Five

May 2002 Reports

Gulf War Service Member Statistics

Compensation and Pension Statistics

Undiagnosed (UDX) Compensation and Pension Statistics

AlJubayl Compensation and Pension Statistics

Sample Prevalence Reports

Gulf War Veterams Member Statistics

May 2002