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VA Disability Rating for PTSD

by MilitaryBenefits

Military members who experience trauma may develop symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is eligible for VA compensation for service-connected or service-aggravated conditions.

VA Disability Rating for PTSDBut for some, the process of establishing a VA rating for PTSD is a mystery. Understanding how the VA views and rates this condition goes a long way toward helping those who suffer from PTSD file their claims and document their condition properly for the purpose of getting a VA disability rating for the condition where applicable.

What You Should Know About PTSD As A VA-Rated Disability

The VA needs veterans who apply for PTSD compensation to establish a service connection to the trauma. Any medical documentation you have including information from private caregivers, counselors, civilian mental health professionals, and other supporting evidence will be crucial to establishing your claim,

If you have the ability to have a military doctor or counselor evaluate you prior to retirement or separation do so as soon as possible and continue to follow up with your appointments and treatments until you are discharged.

Those who do not have a military medical record that includes evaluation of or treatment for mental health disorders will have a more difficult time proving a service connection in some cases but it is not impossible–you may need to enlist the help of a Veterans Service Organization or legal firm experienced with veteran compensation issues in this area.

But much depends on circumstances, the amount of documentation you have, and other variables. Always assume that you should accomplish as much in your military medical records as possible prior to discharge for best results.

VA Disability Ratings Approach For PTSD

The VA can, and does, issue disability ratings for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These disability ratings range from Zero to 100% depending on the nature, severity, and persistence of the symptoms.

We’ll cover the VA rating criteria below. But servicemembers should know that establishing a case for PTSD ideally should start as early as possible. If you are still serving, being evaluated and diagnosed with PTSD or other mental health issues related to your trauma is a very important step.

One important fact to remember – PTSD, anxiety disorders and other mental health issues continue to be directly or indirectly stigmatized in certain parts of our society and it can be challenging to seek help or a diagnosis.

To be treated for your condition and get the compensation you are due, it is necessary to overcome any feelings you may have of being marginalized, of being a “lesser person” or other negative connotations associated with having a mental health issue.

The fact is, PTSD is far more widespread than many think and American culture has a long way to go in properly understanding these conditions and the people who suffer from them. Don’t let stigma or negative perceptions about mental health issues stop you from getting the care and compensation you deserve.

How The VA Views PTSD

The VA lists PTSD as a “mental disorder due to traumatic stress”. The VA official site provides this information about PTSD and the VA’s approach to it. It says in part that when a mental issue develops “in service as a result of a highly stressful event is severe enough to bring about the veteran’s release from active military service,” the VA will assign an initial rating of 50% disability to the condition.

The VA must schedule an exam within six months of the veteran’s discharge from military service. This evaluation is meant to determine whether the veteran should remain classified as 50% for the condition or if a different rating is required.

When rating PTSD and other mental health issues, it requires professionals to use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as it’s guide. The VA official site reminds, “Rating agencies must be thoroughly familiar with this manual” to properly complete the evaluation.

Factors In A VA PTSD Disability Rating

Causes of PTSD are many and varied. The Department of Veterans Affairs will need to know if you have experienced ANY of the following during your military service. This list is not a comprehensive one–there are too many variables and causes of PTSD to make a complete listing of all factors that may be relevant, but in general here are some of the most common factors:

  • Death
  • Life-threatening situations including threat of or fear of death
  • Serious injury
  • Threatened serious injury
  • Sexual violence
  • Threatened sexual violence

Remember, you don’t have to directly experience a traumatic event to be affected by it–if you witness a traumatic event you may experience symptoms of PTSD, too.

Some wrongly assume that if they have not experienced trauma in combat that it “doesn’t count.” However, any of the following can result in your experiencing symptoms of PTSD–how long they last and the level of impairment are variables you will have to consider as you get treatment and evaluation. You can experience PTSD symptoms in any of the following situations combat-related or not:

  • Car accidents
  • Suicides involving someone you know
  • Military training mishaps
  • Sexual assault or attempted sexual assault
  • Witnessing any of the above

The VA Rating Schedule For PTSD

The first question many ask about VA disability ratings is what it takes to be rated as 100% disabled in any given area. Some VA ratings don’t allow a 100% disability rating regardless of severity (tinnitus is a good example) while others permit a range of ratings from zero to 100% PTSD is one of those conditions.

In order to be VA-rated at 100% disability for PTSD, the following must apply as per VA instructions to it’s evaluators:

VA PTSD 100% Disability Rating Criteria: Total occupational and social impairment because of symptoms including:

  • Gross impairment in thought processes or communication
  • Persistent delusions or hallucinations
  • Grossly inappropriate behavior
  • Persistent danger of hurting self or others
  • Intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene)
  • Disorientation to time or place
  • Memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name

Space doesn’t permit us to list each and every level of rating but there are levels at 70%, 50%, 30%, and 10%. There is also a zero percent rating. The 100% PTSD rating obviously involves a severity of symptoms not found at the other levels. For example, the 50% PTSD rating includes the following criteria for approval:

VA PTSD 50% Disability Rating Criteria: Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to:

  • Flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech
  • Panic attacks more than once a week
  • Difficulty in understanding complex commands
  • Impairment of short- and long-term memory
  • Impaired judgment
  • Impaired abstract thinking
  • Disturbances of motivation and mood
  • Difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships

One of the most common VA ratings for PTSD according to some sources is 30% disability, which includes the following:

VA PTSD 30% Disability Rating Criteria: Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due:

  • Depressed mood
  • Anxiety
  • Suspiciousness
  • Panic attacks (weekly or less often)
  • Chronic sleep impairment
  • Mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events)

The VA Zero Percent Disability Rating For PTSD

The zero percent rating is awarded in cases where there has been a formal diagnosis of the condition but symptoms are “not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication”.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


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How Social Workers Help Veterans

by MilitaryBenefits

How do social workers help veterans? This is a big, open-ended question with answers that may surprise you. Did you know that the Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the largest employers of social workers in America?

How Social Workers Help VeteransIf you have ever called the VA, gotten treatment or evaluations at a VA clinic, or otherwise have used services offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, it’s likely that a social worker was involved, or can be made available for your needs depending on circumstances.

But social workers don’t just work for the VA; they open private practices, form non-profit organizations, work in civilian clinics or outreach, and even help Veteran Service Organizations such as the USO, VFW, DAV, etc.

In some cases, a Veterans Service Organization may have help, advice, or funding for programs that help train vets to become social workers-an April 2019 article published by the University of Minnesota lauded the DAV for providing a donation to the School of Social Work, which the school promptly turned into a scholarship that benefitted a veteran attending classes there and performing field work.

How Social Workers Help Veterans

You can’t simply decide to become a social worker and vets who need the services of social workers aren’t getting help from untrained, inexperienced newcomers.

There is a range of minimum required training and experience–the most entry level social worker is required to have an advanced degree to perform clinical work, and most states have a minimum required number of hours of experience in social work before state credentials are issued.

Social work takes place, as discussed above, within the VA system as well as outside it. Social workers within the VA healthcare system help veterans in a variety of ways. From the more well-known services including counseling, therapy, substance abuse counseling, and related areas, there are other ways veterans can get help from social workers at many stages in their journey through the VA health system:

  • Information “linkage and referral”
  • Discharge planning
  • Homeless veteran outreach
  • VA Case management
  • Financial Assistance referral
  • Housing and community living options
  • Advance Directives
  • Mental health issues
  • Long term term planning

VA social work outreach also includes working with veterans and family members for readjustment counseling, coping with disability, those who need durable powers of attorney, end-of-life issues, and the financial aspects of all of the above.

Social Workers who want to help veterans in the private sector and not as a VA employee have a variety of options. One is to work with or volunteer for social work duties in a non-profit agency, Veterans Service Organization, or in private practice.

In more rural areas, you may find a social worker at a mental healthcare clinic, via a counselor or even as a referral from a primary care provider. In more urban areas there may be entire agencies dedicated to social work for veterans or including veterans as a primary part of their outreach programs.

Non-VA programs that feature social workers may also be involved in advocacy. Depending on the agency (a VSO versus a non-military-focused nonprofit) you may find that the company that pays your social worker also pays more money to lobby on your behalf for improvements in the law, enhancing availability of services to veterans, and awareness raising for programs that already exist. Lobbying and advocacy are important aspects for both vets and caregivers and resource managers. The role of a VSO or veteran-focused agency in this area should not be taken lightly. Why?

According to the National Association of Social Workers, “Elected officials take heed to mass numbers— When a group of people from an elected official’s district requests a meeting regarding a particular issue, the elected official wants to hear their point of view.” Lobbying is a time-honored way of getting the relevant issues in front of your elected officials at the local, state, and national level.

Finding a Social Worker

By the time you reach this point in the article, it may seem obvious that a great place to begin looking for a social worker to help you is none other than the Department of Veterans Affairs.

But if you wish to remain outside the VA system or don’t have access to it, there are some important places to start looking for a social worker. The usual VSO agencies are a great place to begin, but you should also look at your state-level Division of Veterans Affairs official site, state level Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.

Some will need the help of a professional to plan their healthcare, others may require assistance with payment plans or copay waivers; still others will need counseling, therapy, and other services within the VA.

Fortunately, these are also available outside the VA system. Any health-and-wellness websites feature “find a social worker” search tools, and you can search the Psychology Today site for mental health professionals who may do social work for veterans. You may also find a health-care-specific type of social worker at local hospitals and clinics. In general, the services offered by these professionals can include:

  • Advocacy within the civilian health care system
  • Identify barriers to medical care
  • Risk assessment
  • Evaluating needs after discharge
  • Crisis intervention
  • Supportive counseling
  • Referrals to community resources
  • Provide assessment and support to victims of abuse or neglect
  • Assessing institutional abuse or neglect

One thing some veterans will notice in non-VA settings; there is often similar emphasis on the “whole healthcare team concept” of which social workers play a part. A good example of this is found within the University of Illinois at Chicago UI Health department–social workers and healthcare officials there urge current patients who need more information on social work to call the Health Social Work Office at 312.996.0293.

Government Agencies Providing Social Work Services Outside The VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a monopoly on providing social work services to veterans and family members. For example, did you know the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides some military-specific resources as well as help with government benefit programs overall? HHS offers the following:

  • Adoption services
  • Home Visiting programs for pregnant women, expectant fathers, and parents and caregivers of children under five
  • Home Energy Assistance for low-income households (includes financial assistance for home heating and cooling costs)
  • HHS Programs for those with Disabilities
  • Programs for Seniors
  • Homelessness
  • Supporting Military Families
  • Benefits.gov–the official benefits website of the U.S. government

You can find local branches by searching “social services near me” or by contacting the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-800- 827-1000.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


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VA Disability Rating for Sleep Apnea

by MilitaryBenefits

What kind of VA disability rating is possible for sleep apnea? This is a condition that, like all other VA-compensated disabilities, must have an established connection to military service in order to get an award for VA disability compensation.

VA Disability Rating for Sleep ApneaService-connected medical issues including sleep apnea may be deemed to be directly caused by military service, there may be a “presumptive” condition that includes sleep apnea, or you may experience sleep apnea as a secondary condition associated with some other VA rated issue.

The key is to understand how the VA defines sleep apnea, and under what conditions it may justify a VA disability percentage rating.

Sleep Apnea Basics

In general, sleep apnea is medically defined as a sleep disorder where breathing stops and starts, which can result in feeling tired even after a full night’s sleep. There are three basic types of sleep apnea recognized by medical authorities including the Mayo Clinic. These include:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea
  • Central sleep apnea
  • Complex sleep apnea syndrome (which includes symptoms of both the other types above)

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common form of the problem, which occurs during sleep when the throat muscles relax and cause snoring, which can be disruptive to sleep patterns overall.

Central sleep apnea is a problem that involves the brain not sending the right signals during sleep to control breathing. Complex sleep apnea combines symptoms of the other two versions of the condition and is generally the more severe form.

To treat sleep apnea, a sleep study is usually required to properly diagnose the problem, and the use of external equipment known as a CPAP machine. CPAP, also known as a continuous airway pressure machine, helps keep the airway open during sleep to prevent sleep disturbances caused by sleep apnea.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

How do you know if you have a potential problem in this area? There are multiple symptoms to pay attention to. Remember that not all symptoms are automatically an indication of a medical problem, but they are worth paying attention to for future reference if you have some of the more benign types.

Don’t forget the power of a spouse, partner, roommate, or other housemates to give you information that could help your decision making about addressing this issue–if someone else tells you that you’ve been snoring or experiencing other sleep disturbances, take such reports seriously and consider having those observations committed to writing for your future claim’s sake.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

  • Snoring
  • Interrupted or stopped breathing during sleep
  • Gasping for air during sleep
  • Awakening with a dry mouth
  • Morning headache
  • Insomnia or difficulty remaining asleep
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness, AKA hypersomnia
  • Difficulty paying attention due to sleep deprivation
  • Irritability due to insomnia or lost sleep

How The VA Rates Sleep Apnea

There are several categories under which sleep apnea may be defined during a VA review of your health to determine what conditions you may have and which are considered by the VA to be service-connected. They include:

  • Conditions that require a tracheostomy due to “chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention” or “cor pulmonale”
  • Conditions that require the use of a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine
  • Persistent day-time hypersomnolence
  • Asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder-type breathing

These ratings range from 100% disability (possible in cases where a chronic respiratory failure is documented)  all the way down to 0% (possible in cases where the patient is asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing).

The breakdown is as follows–remember that the VA rates all such cases individually but using a guide to qualifying conditions that include:

  • 100 percent VA rating: awarded in cases of “chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonare, or; requires tracheostomy”
  • 50 percent rating: awarded in cases where the use of a CPAP machine is required
  • 30 percent rating: awarded for persistent day-time “hypersomnolence”
  • 0 percent rating: awarded for asymptomatic sleep apnea with documented sleep disorder breathing

Sleep Apnea And Military Service Connections

The key in getting a VA disability rating for sleep apnea involves establishing that military service caused the problem.

But in cases where you may not be able to establish a direct link between military service and the condition it may be possible that it is due to the effects of a different service-connected medical issue.

For example, PTSD is said to aggravate sleep disorders or introduce them; veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome or other Gulf War-related conditions may also suffer from sleep apnea as a result.

How do you establish that sleep apnea is service-connected? If the first appearance of the problem occurs in your military medical records as opposed to being a pre-existing condition, that may be a step toward a VA disability rating.

Any military member experiencing sleep disorders should, in anticipation of needing this data at a later date, request a sleep study to be done in a military medical facility where possible to establish whether or not there is a service connection to the sleep issues.

You can also see a civilian medical provider to get supporting documentation of a service-connection for sleep apnea. The key will be having as much of the issue medically documented while still serving as possible and getting supporting medical opinions in addition to whatever treatment or study of your sleep issues happen while you are still serving.

If your sleep apnea is a recent development (even if it was not present or perceived to be present during your military service) it is still important to get the sleep study, have your results evaluated, and get supporting documentation to help your claim. It’s best to use both VA and military healthcare options AND any supporting evidence from private or civilian healthcare sources.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


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Understanding VA Secondary Conditions

by MilitaryBenefits

Do you need help understanding VA secondary conditions? Many who file claims for VA compensation for service-connected disabilities aren’t fully aware of their rights to file claims for secondary conditions.

Understanding VA Secondary ConditionsWhen it comes to potentially adding more compensation to your claim, the ability to file a claim for a secondary condition is something all veterans should know about even if you don’t think you need it…right now.

Defining VA Secondary Conditions

The VA official site introduces the concept of the secondary claim, advising service members and veterans they may file a secondary claim “to get more disability benefits for a new disability that’s linked to a service-connected disability you already have.”

If you got an elbow injury on active duty and later develop another issue associated with that injury, the new medical problem may be submitted to the VA for review.

If the Department of Veterans Affairs decides that the secondary condition warrants additional consideration for compensation, it will notify the veteran and the process of adjusting your VA compensation will begin. Or you may have your claim denied if there isn’t sufficient evidence or justification to approve the claim.

Not To Be Confused With…

It is important to distinguish between other VA programs that offer added compensation for service connected disabilities. What we are NOT discussing in the context of secondary claims? The kind of follow-up claim you might follow if you get diagnosed with a condition that gets worse later on.

Increased Claims

In other words, the medical issue does not become TWO (or more) issues, which would justify the secondary claim, but rather the original condition becomes WORSE. That kind of claim is known as an “Increased Claim” and would be filed with a separate set of procedures and requirements. (The submission requirements may be very similar in many respects, but the type of claim is different.)

VA Claims For Special Needs Associated With A Service-Connected Disability

The Secondary Claim is also not to be confused with another type of VA claim process for special needs associated with a VA-rated service-connected disability. It should also be viewed as a separate process from the VA Supplemental Claim process, which is intended for those who wish to have a denied claim reconsidered.

1151 Claims

VA Secondary Conditions are also not the same as the claim you would file if you received treatment in a VA hospital or other VA healthcare facility and that treatment led to a disability. In such cases the veteran would file something called a 1151 claim.

Finally, VA Secondary Conditions claims should be considered a separate process from the procedure you need to claim VA disability benefits if you have signs of certain illnesses like diabetes, ulcers, or other problems that manifest themselves within a year of leaving military service.

The VA official site says of these types of claims, “If your symptoms appear within one year after discharge—even if they weren’t there while you were serving—we’ll conclude that they’re related to your service.”


The Process

You generally don’t file for a secondary claim at the time of your initial VA paperwork claim; however if you are already experiencing problems that might be justified under the rules for this type of claim you should definitely include that information in the initial claim.

Where the VA is concerned, there is no such thing as “speculative” claim–you can’t anticipate future medical issues that aren’t yet evident and try to claim them, “just in case.”

A “pre-emptive claim” is not permitted. But if you are filing an initial VA claim and you DO experience secondary issues–the damaged arm that later developed arthritis, for example–you should include all that information in your claim as well, as mentioned above.

When filing a claim for a secondary condition, you should treat the process the same way you did when filing the initial claim. This means gathering supporting evidence from your care providers including letters that can attest to any symptoms of the secondary condition, how it may affect your quality of life or ability to hold a job, etc.

This information can come from any healthcare provider, friend, family member, co-worker, etc. you choose to include. And you should include as much documentation as possible.

One thing to remember about secondary claims is that you do NOT have to have a formal diagnosis at the time you submit your claim, but you should expect to be held responsible for obtaining such a diagnosis at some point during the process.

That said, if you intend to file a claim for a secondary condition, the Department of Veterans Affairs advises you to seek treatment for this condition as soon as humanly possible for best results.


New Evidence Or Research Results

It is crucial to stay informed about the nature of any medical condition you have that might at some point develop a secondary issue that could be compensable by the VA.

Why? Both the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as private care providers and researchers may publish new information as time goes by that draws connections between previously-thought-to-be-unrelated medical conditions.

A good example of this is a 2019 VA study that included findings associating the long-term effects of mild TBI on currently serving military members and veterans alike. The VA studies conditions like these to help further understand and treat the conditions. In the last ten years research has established a link between traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and the onset of dementia.

Such studies may lend more weight to compensation claims filed on the basis of a secondary issue to TBI, under the right circumstances. But if you fall behind on the latest relevant findings on a medical condition you have, you could be leaving money on the table, so to speak, in terms of being able to pursue a claim based on the secondary condition.

For the TBI study mentioned above, findings indicated that more than two percent of veterans without TBI experienced some form of dementia; the study compared that to some six percent of veterans who developed dementia AND had TBI.

If you or a veteran you care for experience the symptoms of dementia following a service-connected TBI incident, you may be justified in filing a secondary conditions claim as a result. But without knowing about such studies or research in areas relevant to your disabilities, you might not know such a claim is even possible.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


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VA Disability & Migraines

by MilitaryBenefits

Does the Department of Veterans Affairs assign disability ratings to those who suffer from migraines?

VA Disability and MigrainesThis is an important question–more than 37 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches (also commonly referred to simply as suffering from “migraine”) and since the United States military is thought to be a cross-section of American society, it makes sense that the question of migraines as related to VA disability benefits would need addressing.

A 2017 article published on the Department of Veterans Affairs official site notes that military members who have been deployed are “more likely” to develop migraines or migraine-like symptoms. Those who have experienced traumatic brain injuries are more prone to them, and there are other conditions which may also lead to the development of migraine attacks.

New migraine sufferers learn their condition is on a spectrum–not all who have migraines experience identical symptoms, or pain intensity. Not all attacks are severe, and not all migraines are mild. Your experience will definitely vary.

What Are Migraines?

In order to discuss how the VA reviews and rates the condition, we have to understand how the Department of Veterans Affairs interprets the symptoms we know today as migraines.

The American Migraine Foundation describes migraine attacks as having distinct stages, which include:

  • A “pre-headache” known as prodrome. This can last hours or days with varying symptoms.
  • Some migraine sufferers experience something called “aura” as a phase of a migraine attack. This refers to blurry vision, the appearance of geometric patterns, perceptions of flashing lights, loss of vision or blind spots.
  • The onset of a headache may be experienced as pain on one side or both sides of the head. This can last days, with pain that ranges from minor to totally debilitating.
  • The postdrome phase is thought of as a “hangover” occurring at the end of the headache phase. Not all migraines involve a postdrome, but when they do there can be dizziness, lightheadedness, difficulty concentrating, and other problems.

Not all sufferers experience all of these symptoms, and not all sufferers experience them in the same intensity.

How The Department Of Veterans Affairs Defines Migraines

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the Department of Veterans Affairs list of relevant medical conditions (under their Health Benefits section) does not include a description of migraines. To find the information, it’s necessary to dig deeper.

The VA lists migraines under the VA Schedule of Disabilities in the section titled Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders, under a subsection labeled “Miscellaneous Diseases.” In this section we find that the VA does seem to prioritize the effects of the migraine attack (whatever the symptoms might be) over splitting hairs about what might or might not be part of the migraine experience.

What the VA is interested in here (and for all the other conditions listed in this section of the VA Schedule of Disability Ratings) has more to do with establishing a connection between military service and the migraine, and whether any condition (including migraines) listed in the section meets criteria advised for evaluators:

“Consider especially psychotic manifestations, complete or partial loss of use of one or more extremities, speech disturbances, impairment of vision, disturbances of gait, tremors, visceral manifestations, etc., referring to the appropriate bodily system of the schedule.”

The VA wants to know that the condition being evaluated has some connection with military service–causing or aggravating a condition. The VA examiner must determine where the patient fits into the VA rating scale of severity of the problem:

Migraine sufferers may experience:

  • “Very frequent” migraines that result in “complete prostration” with prolonged symptoms that can seriously interfere with the ability to maintain a job.
  • Prostrating attacks averaging once a month over several months.
  • Prostrating attacks averaging one in 2 months over several months.
  • Less frequent attacks than any of the above.

The VA may rate the first category at as much as 50% disability, with a sliding scale downward after that. The lowest disability rating you can get with migraines is zero, for the last item in our list.

Condition Definitions And VA Disability Percentages

The definition of “prostrating” in this context has to do with being bedridden due to your condition–the longer you cannot do anything but lie down when experiencing an attack, the higher your chances are of being awarded a higher VA disability percentage for the condition.

Remember that your ability to work and maintain employment is an important factor in such ratings–if your condition is “very frequent” the ability to maintain a job may be an important factor in the rating.

And that is one reason why it is crucial to submit supporting documentation from civilian doctors who may have treated you, “buddy letters” from co-workers and colleagues attesting to the nature and severity of your condition, etc.

Some veteran advocacy sites warn VA claims applicants that you should be evaluated on the potential harm to your employability; some report that veterans may be asked (improperly or not) to prove they HAVE experienced unemployability due to migraine.

If you are able to do so, you definitely should, but for those who feel their claims are being reviewed on the basis of whether they have actually experienced financial hardship as a result of their condition it may be wise to seek the assistance of legal counsel or get the help of a Veteran Service Officer or a VSO organization.

Disability claims are never one-size-fits-all, but there are some common rules to keep in mind when submitting a claim related to migraines. The first is to get all available supporting documentation to reinforce your claim that your condition is service-connected. The second is to avoid delays in submitting your claim–the longer you wait post-service to do so, the more limited your options might be depending on circumstances, current regulations, or future changes/additions to the existing rules.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


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Disclaimer: This is a private website that is NOT affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site contains information about GI Bill benefits, VA loans, news and services for military veterans and is not connected with any government agency. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by Veteran Affairs, visit the official site for veterans benefits at Veterans Affairs. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

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