What is secondary service connection?
Last verified July 15, 2026 · Reviewed by Esteban Magallon, VA-Accredited Claims Agent
Details
- You still need a current diagnosis of the secondary condition and a medical opinion linking it to the service-connected condition.
- Aggravation counts — VA rates the additional worsening, not the baseline.
- Effective date is generally the date of the secondary claim, not the original service-connected date.
Related
This is general educational information about VA claims — not legal or medical advice. Individual outcomes depend on the record. Oakridge Claims is a private VA-Accredited Claims Agent practice and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.