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VA Disability Rating Explained

Your VA disability rating is one of the most important numbers in your life as a veteran — it determines your monthly compensation, your healthcare priority, your access to other benefits, and much more. Yet most veterans don't fully understand how their rating is calculated or what they can do to ensure it accurately reflects their condition.

What Is a VA Disability Rating?

A VA disability rating is a percentage assigned to each service-connected condition, reflecting how much that condition reduces your overall physical and/or mental health. Ratings are assigned in increments of 10% (0%, 10%, 20%, ... 100%) and are based on the VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD).

A 0% rating means the VA acknowledges the condition is service-connected but currently causes no functional impairment. It still entitles you to VA healthcare at an elevated priority level and can serve as a foundation for future increases.

How Individual Ratings Are Assigned

Each condition is rated individually based on diagnostic criteria in the VASRD. For example:

• Tinnitus is rated at 10% — a flat rate for all veterans with the condition
• Knee conditions are rated based on range of motion, pain, instability, and whether surgery is required
• PTSD is rated at 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100% based on the frequency and severity of symptoms
• Hypertension is rated based on diastolic blood pressure readings

The VA evaluates your condition based on your C&P exam findings, VA treatment records, private medical records, and any DBQ (Disability Benefits Questionnaire) submitted by a private doctor.

Common VA Disability Ratings by Condition

Condition	Common Rating Range	Notes
Tinnitus	10%	Flat rate — most common rated condition
Hearing Loss	0% – 100%	Based on audiogram results
PTSD / Mental Health	10% – 100%	Based on symptom frequency/severity
Lumbar Strain (Low Back)	10% – 40%	Based on range of motion
Knee Conditions	10% – 30%	Based on instability, ROM, surgeries
Sleep Apnea (with CPAP)	50%	Auto-50% if CPAP is required
Hypertension	10% – 60%	Based on diastolic BP readings
Migraines	10% – 50%	Based on frequency of prostrating attacks
TBI	0% – 100%	Rated on cognitive and functional impairment
Diabetes (Type II)	10% – 100%	Based on treatment required

The Combined Ratings Formula

Here's where most veterans get confused: when you have multiple service-connected conditions, the VA does not simply add the ratings together. Instead, it uses a method called the "whole person" formula.

How the math works

Imagine you start with a body that is 100% healthy (100%). If you have a 30% rating, the VA applies that to your whole self — leaving 70% remaining. If you then have a 20% rating, it applies to that remaining 70%: 20% × 70 = 14 additional points. Now you're at 44%, which rounds to 40%.

The formula continues in this way for each additional condition, and the final result is rounded to the nearest 10% (rounding 5% up, and below 5% down).

Individual Unemployability (TDIU)

Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is one of the most valuable and underutilized VA benefits. TDIU allows veterans to receive compensation at the 100% rate even when their combined schedular rating is less than 100%, if their service-connected disabilities prevent them from holding substantially gainful employment.

TDIU eligibility requirements

• Standard: One disability rated at 60% or higher, OR a combined rating of 70% or higher with at least one condition at 40%
• Extra-schedular: Even if you don't meet the standard criteria, you may still qualify if your disabilities prevent you from working — this requires a more detailed review

To apply for TDIU, file VA Form 21-8940 ↗ (Veteran's Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability) along with your regular disability claim or as a supplemental claim.