A new Department of Veterans Affairs rule that took effect Feb. 17 changes how the agency evaluates disability ratings for millions of veterans, tying compensation to how well a veteran functions while on medication rather than to the severity of the underlying condition. Public comments are being accepted through April 20 at regulations.gov under docket RIN 2900-AS49. The department had received more than 1,900 comments by publication time. The interim final rule, titled "Evaluative Rating: