Rating Schedule Index
Overview
The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) uses the Schedule For Rating Disabilities in conjunction with the M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual to determine disability evaluations. The schedule helps assess the severity of service-connected conditions.
Chief's Take: The VASRD is the VA's sacred text—a byzantine document from 1945 that determines how much your pain is worth in dollars. Each body system has its own chapter, each condition its own code. Study your relevant sections like they're the exam that determines your paycheck. Because they are.
Critical Warnings: - Do not misrepresent disability severity; it constitutes a crime - The schedule is not a checklist of symptoms to report - Use it to understand VA evaluation criteria and better explain your impairment
Organization
The rating schedule is organized into major sections and subsections. Veterans can search by: - Condition name via the Master Condition List - VA Diagnostic Codes for advanced users
Major Rating Schedule Sections
| System | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular System | Heart, blood, veins, arteries |
| Dental and Oral | Jaw, teeth, palates |
| Digestive System | Abdomen, cancers, hernias, intestines |
| Endocrine System | Diabetes, thyroid, adrenal conditions |
| Female Reproductive | Breasts, endometriosis, cancers |
| Genitourinary System | Kidney, urinary, reproductive cancers |
| Infectious Diseases | Immune disorders, infections |
| Mental Disorders | PTSD, anxiety, depression, MST |
| Musculoskeletal System | Bones, joints, muscles, tendons |
| Nervous System | Nerve conditions, traumatic brain injury |
| Respiratory System | Lung disease, sleep apnea, tuberculosis |
| The Senses | Vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch |
| Skin | Psoriasis, dermatitis, scars, infections |
Key Regulations
Extra Scheduler (38 CFR 3.321(b))
In exceptional or unusual circumstances with marked employment interference or frequent hospitalizations, the VA Director may grant ratings exceeding schedule limits—exceptionally rare cases.
Hospitalization Rule (38 CFR 4.29)
Veterans hospitalized 22+ continuous days at VA or approved facilities for service-connected conditions receive temporary 100% rating retroactive to admission, continuing through discharge month. Mental health conditions exceeding 6 months receive extended protection with reevaluation.
Exclusions: State veterans' home residency, live-in programs, domiciliary care (unless hospital-level care required).
Convalescent Rating (38 CFR 4.30)
Post-discharge temporary 100% rating (1-3 months, extensible to 6 months) applies when: - Surgery on service-connected condition requiring 1+ month recovery - Severe postoperative complications (unhealed wounds, immobilization, house confinement) - Major joint immobilization by cast without surgery
Filing requires medical evidence documenting condition and recovery length.
Amputation Rule (38 CFR 4.68)
Combined musculoskeletal ratings cannot exceed the rating for that limb's amputation. "Spillover" conditions exceeding the amputation threshold are excluded from disability calculations.
Exception: Rule does not apply to peripheral nerve disabilities or bilateral evaluations under single diagnostic codes.
Pyramiding Rule (38 CFR 4.14)
Prevents rating the same disability under multiple diagnostic codes.
Zero Percent Evaluations (38 CFR 4.31)
Conditions can receive 0% ratings, establishing service connection without monthly compensation.
Time-Based Protections
Regulations establish protected rating periods preventing downward evaluations within specified timeframes following initial awards or rating changes.