VA Disability Rating Formula

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Submitted by John Miterko
The VA uses a non-additive method to calculate combined disability ratings. It starts with the highest individual rating, then applies the others sequentially to the remaining “healthy” percentage of the veteran, and rounds the final result to the nearest 10%. 

Here’s a breakdown:
    1. 1. Start with the highest disability rating:

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      For example, if a veteran has a 40% rating for back injury and a 20% rating for knee injury, begin with the 40%. 

    2. 2. Apply subsequent ratings to the remaining “healthy” percentage:

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      For the 20% knee injury, subtract it from 100%, leaving 60%. Then, calculate 20% of 60% which is 12%. Add that 12% to the initial 40% to get 52%. 

  • 3. Round to the nearest 10%:

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    In the example, 52% rounds down to 50%. 

  • 4. Repeat for each additional disability:

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    The process continues with any remaining disabilities, consistently applied to the “healthy” percentage. 

Key points:
  • The VA uses a combined ratings table, not simple addition, to determine the overall disability rating.
  • Rounding to the nearest 10% can result in a final rating that’s lower than what a simple addition of percentages might suggest.
  • Online calculators can help visualize this process; DAV provides one.