VA Disability Rating for Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia and Other Diagnoses (2026)
Quick answer: VA rates anorexia nervosa (DC 9520) and bulimia nervosa (DC 9521) under the Rating Formula for Eating Disorders in 38 CFR 4.130, not under the general mental-disorder formula. The levels are 0%, 10%, 30%, 60% and 100%, based on weight, weeks of incapacitating episodes per year, and hospitalization. Other eating disorders are not listed by name and may be rated by analogy.
Eating disorders are real, diagnosable mental health conditions, and some veterans develop or worsen them during or after service, sometimes alongside PTSD, depression or military sexual trauma. Yet the VA rating schedule treats them differently from most other mental health conditions. This guide walks through the actual criteria in 38 CFR 4.130, what the terms mean, how other diagnoses are handled, and what the 2026 pay rates are.
Which diagnostic codes does VA use for eating disorders?
The rating schedule lists two eating disorders by name: DC 9520, anorexia nervosa, and DC 9521, bulimia nervosa. Both appear in 38 CFR 4.130 and share one Rating Formula for Eating Disorders. Note 2 under the schedule separates the formulas: diagnostic codes 9201 to 9440 use the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders (the one used for PTSD, depression and anxiety), while codes 9520 and 9521 use the eating disorders formula. You can read the current text on the eCFR page for 38 CFR 4.130.
For comparison, see how VA rates other mental health conditions in our guides to PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.
What are the VA rating levels for eating disorders?
The formula in 38 CFR 4.130 reads as follows, summarized in plain language:
| Rating | Criteria (38 CFR 4.130) |
|---|---|
| 100% | Self-induced weight loss to less than 80 percent of expected minimum weight, with incapacitating episodes of at least six weeks total duration per year, and requiring hospitalization more than twice a year for parenteral nutrition or tube feeding |
| 60% | Self-induced weight loss to less than 85 percent of expected minimum weight with incapacitating episodes of six or more weeks total duration per year |
| 30% | Self-induced weight loss to less than 85 percent of expected minimum weight with incapacitating episodes of more than two but less than six weeks total duration per year |
| 10% | Binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other measures to prevent weight gain, or resistance to weight gain even when below expected minimum weight, with diagnosis of an eating disorder and incapacitating episodes of up to two weeks total duration per year |
| 0% | Binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other measures to prevent weight gain, or resistance to weight gain even when below expected minimum weight, with diagnosis of an eating disorder but without incapacitating episodes |
Notice that there is no 20%, 40%, 50%, 70% or 80% level in this formula. A veteran's overall combined rating is still calculated from all service-connected conditions, as explained in our guide to the VA combined ratings formula.
What do incapacitating episode and expected minimum weight mean?
Incapacitating episode. Note 1 to the formula defines it as a period during which bed rest and treatment by a physician are required. Ordinary symptoms, even severe ones, do not count unless a physician has ordered bed rest and treated the veteran during that period. This is why treatment records that show dates and physician orders matter so much.
Expected minimum weight. The regulation uses this phrase for the 80 percent and 85 percent thresholds but does not give a weight chart. In practice, the examiner and the rater use height, age, history and clinical judgment. Weight and BMI history in your records helps show where you fall.
How are binge eating disorder and ARFID rated?
Only anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have their own codes. Binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and other eating disorders are not listed by name. When a condition is not in the schedule, 38 CFR 4.20 allows VA to rate it by analogy to a closely related disease with similar function affected, anatomy and symptoms. Which code VA picks, whether an eating disorder code or the general mental disorders formula, is decided case by case, so do not assume a particular outcome. A clear diagnosis that conforms to the DSM-5, as 38 CFR 4.125 requires for mental disorders, is the starting point.
How do you establish service connection?
As with other conditions, you generally need three things: a current diagnosis, an in-service event, injury or illness, and a medical link (nexus) between them under 38 CFR 3.303. For eating disorders, in-service evidence might include weight standards or weigh-ins, fitness-test pressure, medical visits for weight change, or treatment notes. If your records are thin, buddy statements and a medical opinion can help. Our nexus letter guide explains how nexus opinions work.
Can an eating disorder be secondary to PTSD or military sexual trauma?
Yes, a secondary claim is possible under 38 CFR 3.310 when a qualified provider links the eating disorder to an already service-connected condition such as PTSD or depression. See our overview of secondary service connection. Where military sexual trauma is the underlying stressor, 38 CFR 3.304(f)(5) lets VA consider evidence other than official records, including behavior changes, as possible markers of the assault. Our guides on MST claims and nexus letters for MST cover that process. These claims are very individual, and outcomes depend on the evidence.
Can you be rated for an eating disorder and another mental condition?
Possibly, but VA will not rate the same symptoms twice. The rule against pyramiding, 38 CFR 4.14, says the same disability or manifestation cannot be evaluated under more than one diagnostic code. In practice, a rater may decide whether symptoms are better described under the eating disorders formula or the general formula. Records that distinguish which symptoms belong to which condition help. VA is also moving toward a different mental disorder rating model; see our summary of the 2026 mental health rating changes, and note that it concerns the general mental disorders formula, so check current rules before relying on it.
What evidence should you gather?
- A current diagnosis from a qualified provider, stated in DSM-5 terms
- Weight and BMI history, including lowest weights and dates
- Treatment records: therapy, nutrition counseling, medication, inpatient or residential care
- Notes showing physician-ordered bed rest, with dates, to document incapacitating episodes
- Records of any hospitalization for parenteral nutrition or tube feeding
- Personal statement and buddy statements about onset and daily impact
- A nexus opinion if service connection or a secondary link is in question
For tips on the exam itself, see our mental health C&P exam guide.
What do VA ratings pay in 2026?
Monthly rates for a veteran alone with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025, per the VA.gov compensation rates page:
| Rating | Monthly payment (veteran alone) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
Rates differ if you have a spouse, children or dependent parents; see the full 2026 VA pay rates chart.
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VA rates anorexia nervosa (DC 9520) and bulimia nervosa (DC 9521) under the Rating Formula for Eating Disorders in 38 CFR 4.130. The formula has five levels: 0%, 10%, 30%, 60% and 100%. The level depends on weight relative to expected minimum weight, how many weeks of incapacitating episodes occur per year, and whether hospitalization for parenteral nutrition or tube feeding is needed.
Under Note 1 to the formula, an incapacitating episode is a period during which bed rest and treatment by a physician are required. The total number of weeks per year of these episodes is one of the main factors in the 10%, 30%, 60% and 100% levels.
No. Note 2 to 38 CFR 4.130 says diagnostic codes 9201 to 9440 are evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, while codes 9520 and 9521 are evaluated under the Rating Formula for Eating Disorders.
Binge eating disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder are not listed by name in the rating schedule. When a condition is not listed, VA may rate it by analogy to a closely related condition under 38 CFR 4.20. Which code is used is decided case by case, so a diagnosis, symptom history and treatment records matter.
A veteran can claim an eating disorder as secondary to a service-connected condition such as PTSD under 38 CFR 3.310 if medical evidence links the two. For military sexual trauma, 38 CFR 3.304(f)(5) allows VA to consider behavior changes in the record as possible markers of an in-service assault. Each claim depends on its own evidence.
They can be rated separately, but VA does not pay twice for the same symptoms. Under the rule against pyramiding in 38 CFR 4.14, the same manifestation cannot be rated under more than one diagnostic code. Clear records that separate eating-disorder symptoms from other mental-health symptoms help the rater.
Useful evidence includes a current diagnosis from a qualified provider, weight and BMI history, records of treatment or hospitalization, notes on any bed-rest periods ordered by a physician, and statements describing how symptoms affect daily life. A nexus opinion can help when service connection is in question.
Sources: 38 CFR Part 4 (eCFR), 38 CFR Part 3 (eCFR), VA.gov compensation rates.