During the process of applying for your VA disability benefits, you may have heard about the VA’s rating system. The VA Schedule of Ratings Disabilities (VASRD) is a system that the VA uses to determine a veteran’s percentage of disability. The percentage determines how much a disability decreases your ability to function as well as your overall health. It’s a fair and consistent system for compensating disabled veterans for the same condition.
How It Works
Your first step is to assemble your claim and submit it to the VA. Once the VA determines that your disability is service-connected, they assign you a rating. These ratings are based on the impact of your earning capacity in civilian occupations. The rating is used to determine the amount of disability compensation paid to you monthly to compensate you for the loss of earning capacity due to your service.
The VA uses medical information you supply in your claim. This can include military and civilian medical records, as well as things like test results. Also used are findings from a VA Claim Exam (also called “compensation and pension” or “C&P” exam) and any other information the VA gathers, such as from federal agencies. The VA issues ratings in even, 10% increments from 0% to 100%. Multiple ratings are added and rounded to the nearest 10% (up or down) using the criteria set out in the VASRD.
Different conditions have different ratings, based on their severity. If you have more than one disabling condition, the VA uses their Combined Ratings Table to help determine your percentage of disability. This means that if your different conditions have percentages that add up to 100% or more, your final, rounded percentage will not be equal to 100% or more.
What If I’m Rated At 0%?
This means that although you have a condition, it doesn’t affect your ability to function. You won’t receive any disability payments, but you may still qualify for priority health care as well as other VA benefits. More than one 0% disability rating for different conditions may give you a 10% rating.
However, even with a 0% rating, you have established that your condition exists, and that it’s service connected. It is a “foot in the door” for later. Should your condition worsen to the point of disability, you can file a claim to increase your rating.
You may also be eligible for outpatient dental care and more affordable life insurance within the first two years of your rating. There may also be state benefits available for veterans at 0%.
Confused About The VA’s Rating System? Herren Law Understands It
If you’re not sure what the rating system means to you, don’t try to decipher it yourself. William Herren is a Houston disability attorney who has been helping veterans through the VA’s system for more than 30 years. We understand how the VA works, the VASRD, and how to get your claim through their process as efficiently as possible to give you the best chance of approval.
Call The Herren Law Firm today at 713-682-8194 (or use our online contact form) to schedule your free consultation. There’s no obligation, and we’ll take your case on a contingency fee basis, with no up-front charges.
