Featured
> Master Condition List
> Federal Benefits List by Combined Ratings
> Insight into the Claims Process (VBA Perspective)
> Rating Schedule Index
> Filing a VA Disability Claim
> Filing an Appeal

> Death/Survivor Benefits

> Education & Employment

> Health care

> Housing

> Miscellaneous

> VA Disability Compensation

> VA Pension

VA Math

VA Math causes a lot of confusion for Veterans. You are not alone!

When the VA assesses a Veterans Level of disability, they assign a disability level from 0% to 100%, in 10% intervals. They round up or down to the closest decile, meaning that a 24% disability rating would round down to 20%, and a 25% disability would round up to 30%.

Since it's not possible to be more than 100% disabled, the VA doesn't simply add disabilities together (for instance, just adding a 60% disability and a 50% disability would give 110%, which is not possible).

The VA does NOT use additive math (1+1=2), instead they combine disabilities using what can be considered the "total person" concept.

SPECIAL NOTES:

  • If a Veteran has at least two conditions rated at 0%, it is Possible the Veteran can be paid at the 10% level. This can be done when those disabilities together clearly create an impairment to normal employment.

    • This is ONLY applied if a Veteran does NOT have any conditions that rate at least 10%. If the Veteran later obtains an increase or a new condition that rates at least 10%, this special consideration is NO longer applied!

Total Person Concept

VA math starts everyone off being considered 100%. then each condition takes a fraction of what is left.

Combined Ratings Table

The quickest and easiest way to manually determine your rating is to use the following Combined Ratings Table.

How to use:

Consider a Veteran who has the following ratings 40%, 60%, and 20%.

  1. Start by ordering the ratings from highest to lowest (60%, 40%, 20%).

  2. Find the 60% row (using the left most column).

  3. From the 60% row, go to where the 40% column intersects it. You will see that it is 76%. Thus 60% and 40% yield a combined rating of 76%

  4. Now find the 76% row in the left most column.

  5. From the 76% row, go to where the 20% column intersects. You will see that it is 81%. 76% and 20% yield a combined rating of 81%.

Thus, the final rating will be rounded down to 80%.

NOTE:

  • 10% combined with a 10% is 19.

Row↓ 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
19 27 35 43 51 60 68 76 84 92
20 28 36 44 52 60 68 76 84 92
21 29 37 45 53 61 68 76 84 92
22 30 38 45 53 61 69 77 84 92
23 31 38 46 54 62 69 77 85 92
24 32 39 47 54 62 70 77 85 92
25 33 40 48 55 63 70 78 85 93
26 33 41 48 56 63 70 78 85 93
27 34 42 49 56 64 71 78 85 93
28 35 42 50 57 64 71 78 85 93
29 36 43 50 57 65 72 79 86 93
30 37 44 51 58 65 72 79 86 93
31 38 45 52 59 66 72 79 86 93
32 39 46 52 59 66 73 80 86 93
33 40 46 53 60 67 73 80 87 93
34 41 47 54 60 67 74 80 87 93
35 42 48 55 61 68 74 80 87 94
36 42 49 56 62 68 74 80 87 94
37 43 50 56 62 69 75 81 87 94
38 44 50 57 62 69 75 81 88 94
39 45 51 57 63 70 76 82 88 94
40 46 52 58 64 70 76 82 88 94
41 47 53 59 65 71 76 82 88 94
42 48 54 59 65 71 77 83 88 94
43 49 54 60 66 72 77 83 89 94
44 50 55 61 66 72 78 83 89 94
45 51 56 62 67 73 78 84 89 95
46 51 57 62 68 73 78 84 89 95
47 52 58 63 68 74 79 84 89 95
48 53 58 64 69 74 79 84 90 95
49 54 59 64 69 75 79 85 90 95
50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
51 56 61 66 71 75 80 85 90 95
52 57 62 66 71 76 81 86 90 95
53 58 62 67 72 77 81 86 91 95
54 59 63 68 72 77 82 86 91 95
55 60 64 69 73 78 82 86 91 96
56 60 65 69 74 78 82 87 91 96
57 61 66 70 74 79 83 87 91 96
58 62 66 71 75 79 83 87 92 96
59 63 67 71 75 80 84 88 92 96
60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96
61 65 69 73 77 81 84 88 92 96
62 66 70 73 77 81 85 89 92 96
63 67 70 74 78 82 85 89 93 96
64 68 71 75 78 82 86 89 93 96
65 69 72 76 79 83 86 90 93 97
66 69 73 76 80 83 86 90 93 97
67 70 74 77 80 84 87 90 93 97
68 71 74 78 81 84 87 90 94 97
69 72 75 78 81 85 88 91 94 97
70 73 76 79 82 85 88 91 94 97
71 74 77 80 83 86 88 91 94 97
72 75 78 80 83 86 89 92 94 97
73 76 78 81 84 87 89 92 95 97
74 77 79 82 84 87 90 92 95 97
75 78 80 83 85 88 90 93 95 97
76 78 81 83 86 88 90 93 95 97
77 79 82 84 86 89 91 93 95 98
78 80 82 85 86 89 91 93 95 98
79 81 83 85 87 90 92 94 96 98
80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98
81 83 85 87 89 91 92 94 96 98
82 84 86 87 89 91 93 95 96 98
83 85 86 88 90 92 93 95 97 98
84 86 87 89 90 92 94 95 97 98
85 87 88 90 91 93 94 96 97 99
86 87 89 90 92 93 94 96 97 99
87 88 90 91 92 94 95 96 97 99
88 89 90 92 93 94 95 96 98 99
89 90 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
91 92 93 94 95 96 96 97 98 99
92 93 94 94 95 96 97 98 98 99
93 94 94 95 96 97 97 98 99 99
94 95 95 96 96 97 98 98 99 99

VA Math Long Hand Example

Here is the breakdown of the math that is used in the above table.

VA math involves taking away from a person's 100% body, starting with the highest ratings and then combining the rest from highest to lowest.

Now let's figure out Jeff's Ratings. He has a total of four ratings (40% back, 30% left knee, 20% left shoulder, and 10% left hip).

Jeff's Ratings Jeff's Total Person (Starts at 100%) Jeff's Combined Total Rating (Starts at 0%)
Back = 40% 100% - 40% = 60% 40%
Left knee = 30% 60% - 18% = 42% (The 18% is obtained from taking 30% of 60) 40% + 18% = 58%
Left shoulder = 20% 42% - 8.4% = 33.6% (The 8.4% is obtained from taking 20% of 42) 58% + 8.4% = 66.4%
Left hip = 10% 33.6% - 3.36% = 30.24% 66.4% + 3.36% = 69.76%

Jeff's Combined Rating rounds up to 70%.

Bilateral Factor

Just when you thought VA math couldn't get more complicated!

If a Veteran has a rated condition (more than 0%) that affects BOTH the left and right sides of the SAME extremity half. Either upper (above the waist) or lower extremity (below the waist) then a bilateral factor is added to the VA math.

In short the bilateral conditions are given the VA math treatment and then an additional 10% is added. That number is then added back into consideration with the rest of the ratings.

Bilateral Case Examples

Bilateral factor shown on a human model.

In the above image, you see the upper extremity half shown in a lighter shade and the lower extremity half shown in a darker shade of color.

Example Ratings Supporting Image Factor (Yes/No) Explanation
10% each for the following disabilities: Left knee, right shoulder, and tinnitus. No Their are no disabilities that affect BOTH the left and right sides of the same extremity half.
0% right ankle and 10% each for the following disabilities: Left knee, left ankle. No While there are disabilities that affect both the left and right sides of the same extremity half, they BOTH need to be to a compensational degree (at least 10%).
10% each for the following disabilities: Left knee, right ankle, right hip, and right elbow. Yes/No The factor is applied to the left knee, right ankle ratings, as well as the right hip. As the right hip falls under the lower extremity. However, the right elbow would NOT get the factor as the upper extremity is NOT affected on the left side. If it was, then they would get the factor as well.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • The Veteran does NOT need the same mirrored disability on both sides in order for the bilateral factor to apply! VA disability ratings look at whether an upper extremity (such as the shoulder, arm, or hand), or a lower extremity (such as the hip, knee, or foot) are affected by disabilities that affect both sides.

  • In the rare circumstances in which the bilateral factor results in the combined disability evaluation being rounded down from 95 to 94%. The VA will automatically disable the factor of a condition, so the end result is that the combined evaluation will be 100%!

Applying the Factor

The bilateral factor will be applied to such bilateral disabilities before other combinations are carried out and the rating for such disabilities including the bilateral factor in this section will be treated as one disability for the purpose of arranging in order of severity and for all further combinations.

For example, with disabilities evaluated at 60%, 20%, 10% and 10% (the two 10's representing bilateral disabilities), the order of severity would be 60, 21 and 20. The 60 and 21 combine to 68 and the 68 and 20 to give you 74, rounding down to 70% as the final degree of disability.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Painful/unstable scars are NOT eligible for bilateral consideration.

  • Deep and Superficial scars ARE eligible for bilateral consideration so long as the ratings are NOT:

  • Hearing and Eye disabilities are NOT eligible for bilateral consideration.

  • Disabilities that have "Bilateral" in the name do NOT qualify for the bilateral factor (IF they are the only compensatable condition of that extremity!). HOWEVER, if there is another separate disability that affects the the same extremity the other disability AND the bilateral condition WILL get the bilateral factor!

    • This does NOT apply to scars, hearing, or eye conditions!

VA Math Bilateral Factors Example One

Lets look back to Jeff and say instead of a 40% back rating he has a right knee rating of 10%.

Jeff's Ratings Combined Ratings Table Jeff's Combined Total Rating (Starts at 0%)
Left knee = 30% 30%
Right knee = 10% Row:30 Col:10 37%
Bilateral Factor (Add 10%) 7% + 3.7% = 41% (The 3.7% is obtained from taking 10% of 37%. Remember to round to the nearest whole number as well)
Bilateral Conditions 41% 41%
Left shoulder = 20% Row:41 Col:20 53%
Left wrist = 10% Row:53 Col:10 58%

Jeff's Combined Rating rounds up to 60%.

VA Math Bilateral Factors Example Two

Now let's figure out Smith's combined rating. Smith has a several of bilateral and normal conditions: 70% mental health, 40% right shoulder, 20% left ankle, 20% right ankle, 10% right hip, 10% left foot, 10% high blood pressure, and 10% bilateral hearing loss.

Smith's Ratings Combined Ratings Table Smith's Combined Total Rating (Starts at 0%)
Left ankle = 20% 20%
Right ankle = 20% Row:20 Col:20 36%
Right hip = 10% Row:36 Col:10 42%
Left foot = 10% Row:42 Col:10 48%
Bilateral Factor (Add 10%) 48% + 4.8% = 53% (The 4.8% is obtained from taking 10% of 48%. Remember to round to the nearest whole number as well)
Bilateral Conditions 53% 53%
Mental health = 70% Row:53 Col:70 86%
Right shoulder = 40% Row:86 Col:40 92%
Bilateral hearing loss = 10% Row:92 Col:10 93%
High blood pressure = 10% Row:93 Col:10 94%

Smith's Combined Rating rounds down to 94%.

CLARIFICATION NOTE:

  • Yes, even if the bilateral factor is lower than the first non-bilateral condition it is combined first!

Resources

*Disclaimer: This website does NOT have any affiliation with this website. By linking them, we are not promoting or recommending their services. We simply recognize that their calculator is accurate and is user friendly.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No, however under certain circumstances a person may be paid higher than the 100% rate. This is considered Special Monthly Compensation.

    • You would have to look at your Codesheet to see.

References