Rating Schedule for The Eyes
For the various eye problems you may be having.
Visual Impairment Rating System
If you thought the Hearing rating system was complicated... buckle in tight. This is undoubtedly the most complicated system devised to rate a condition.
There are three different ways to rate visual impairment:
And since we know Veterans can be impaired in more than one measure:
IMPORTANT NOTES:
If an eye has a condition that affects central visual acuity and visual field. The Veteran CAN receive individual ratings for both!
If an eye has a condition that affects muscle dysfunction and central visual acuity or visual field. The Veteran will NOT get a separate rating for muscle dysfunction. Instead, the Veteran's visual rating(s) could be increased.
If only one eye is affected and the other eye is VA normal (at least 20/40 corrected vision), then the combined rating of both visual acuity and visual field (including any increase from muscle function) the visual impairment rating for the eye CANNOT be higher than 30%! This does NOT include other possible eye condition ratings.
If only one eye is service connected for visual impairment. The other eye for rating purposes is considered to be at 20/40.
UNLESS, the service connected AND non-service connected eye has a visual acuity of 20/200 or less; OR the peripheral field of vision for each eye is 20 degrees or less. Then the non-service connected eye WILL be considered service connected for rating purposes.
Impairment of Central Visual Acuity
How focused or blurry something is when looking straight at it 'central vision'.
This is your typical vision test. It runs on the familiar 20/20 scale. So the worse the vision is, the smaller the number. e.g. 20/100 (0.2) is worse than 20/50 (0.4).
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Your rating is based upon CORRECTED DISTANCE VISION. So if your distance vision is more or less good in both eyes with glasses... well enjoy your low rating.
Again, for the purposes of the VA, normal vision is 20/40. If you only have one eye examined and not the other. The rater is instructed to assume that eye is normal. Barring of course a note stating the Veteran is missing said eye.
Impairment of Central Visual Acuity Rating Table
| Best Eye → | 20/40 | 20/50 | 20/70 | 20/100 | 20/200 | 15/200 | 10/200 | 5/200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worst Eye ↓ | ||||||||
| 20/40 | 0% | |||||||
| 20/50 | 10% | 10% | ||||||
| 20/70 | 10% | 20% | 30% | |||||
| 20/100 | 10% | 20% | 30% | 50% | ||||
| 20/200 | 20% | 30% | 40% | 60% | 70%* | |||
| 15/200 | 20% | 30% | 40% | 60% | 70%* | 80%* | ||
| 10/200 | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70%* | 80%* | 90%* | |
| 5/200 | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70%* | 80%* | 90%* | 100%* *** |
| Blind** *** | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70%* | 80%* | 90%* | 100%* |
| Eye Removed*** | 40% | 50% | 60% | 60% | 70%* | 80%* | 90%* | 100%* |
*Veteran is entitled to Specially Adapted Housing (SAH).
**No more than light perception.
***Veteran is entitled to Special Monthly Compensation.
SPECIAL NOTES:
In the event the Veteran's corrected distance and near vision are two or more steps (e.g. 20/40 distance and 20/70 near) different FOR THE SAME EYE. The Veteran's corrected distance vision will be rated as one step worse (e.g. 20/50, in our example).
Eye prescriptions are measured in diopters. They can be a negative or positive number, depending how your vision is being corrected. If the difference in diopter numbers between both eyes are greater than three (e.g. -5.0 to get a corrected vision of 20/40 and -1.5 to get a corrected vision of 20/20). The WORST EYE can be rated based upon the uncorrected vision!
This can ONLY be applied if BOTH eyes are service-connected for visual impairment!
In the event one service connected eye has been removed and an artificial one (prosthesis) CANNOT be used. The Veteran's rating will be increased by 10% (real math, not VA math). Though, the rating cannot exceed 100%.
This is permitted in conjunction with a rating for Disfigurement. However the disfigurement rating can then NOT be based upon gross distortion or asymmetry of the eye. But it still CAN be rated based on other characteristics of disfigurement.
Both Eyes Removed
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 0% |
Mild. |
| 10% | Moderate. |
| 60% | Severe. |