How VA Disability Ratings Work
VA assigns a percentage by comparing the service-connected disability picture with the Schedule for Rating Disabilities, then combines multiple ratings using VA math.
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Quick answer
After granting service connection, VA selects the appropriate diagnostic code or codes and compares medical and lay evidence with the rating criteria. Percentages generally represent average impairment in earning capacity. The highest medically documented symptom is not automatically the correct rating; the whole disability picture and applicable rules matter.
How VA reaches an individual ratingDetails
- Identify the service-connected disability and appropriate diagnostic code.
- Review the criteria for each available level.
- Evaluate medical findings, credible lay evidence, treatment, and functional effects.
- Apply rules concerning reasonable doubt, the higher of two evaluations, functional loss, and avoiding pyramiding when applicable.
- Assign an effective date separately.
Why diagnoses do not equal percentagesDetails
- Two veterans with the same diagnosis can have different severity and function.
- Some criteria use measurements; others use episodes, treatment, occupational and social impairment, or specific complications.
- Symptoms may overlap with another disability and cannot always be rated twice.
- A condition can be service connected at 0% when the compensable criteria are not met.
Multiple ratings use VA mathDetails
VA does not simply add percentages. It applies each rating to the remaining “efficient” portion of the whole person, orders the values, and rounds the final combined value under the rule. A bilateral factor may apply before final combination in qualifying cases.
Common questionsDetails
- Does a doctor assign the VA rating? — No. A clinician provides findings; VA adjudicators apply the rating schedule.
- Can a rating change? — Yes, through claims, reviews, scheduled examinations, and reduction rules, subject to protections.
- Does 100% combined mean every condition is total? — No. It is the combined compensation evaluation.
- Are online calculators exact? — They can model ordinary combination, but unusual factors and adjudicative decisions still matter.
Verify the current scheduleDetails
Use the live eCFR and the diagnostic code cited in the decision. Rating criteria can be amended, and effective-date rules determine which version applies.