VA Diagnostic Codes Explained

What a diagnostic code is

The VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD), codified at 38 CFR Part 4, assigns a four-digit diagnostic code to each ratable condition. Each code carries its own criteria: a list of findings and the percentage that goes with each level of severity. When a rater evaluates a condition, they select the code, then measure your documented findings against that code's tiers.

Percentages available under the schedule generally run in ten-point steps — 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 — but not every code offers every step. Some codes top out at 10 or 20 percent. That ceiling is a property of the code itself, not of how severe your condition is.

How the number ranges are organized

• 5000–5399 — Musculoskeletal system: bones, joints, amputations, limitation of motion, the spine.
• 6000–6099 — Organs of special sense: eyes and visual impairment.
• 6100–6299 — Impairment of auditory acuity, tinnitus, and ear conditions.
• 6300–6399 — Infectious diseases, immune disorders, and nutritional deficiencies.
• 6500–6899 — Respiratory system: nose, throat, trachea, bronchi, lungs, and pleura.
• 7000–7199 — Cardiovascular system, including heart and vascular conditions.
• 7200–7399 — Digestive system.
• 7500–7599 — Genitourinary system.
• 7600–7629 — Gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast.
• 7700–7799 — Hemic and lymphatic systems.
• 7800–7899 — Skin conditions and scars.
• 7900–7999 — Endocrine system.
• 8000–8599 — Neurological conditions and convulsive disorders.
• 8600–8799 — Diseases of the peripheral nerves.
• 9200–9599 — Mental disorders (most rated under the General Rating Formula) and dental/oral conditions in the 9900s.

How to read a code's criteria

1. Identify the section — for example 38 CFR § 4.71a for musculoskeletal, § 4.97 for respiratory, § 4.130 for mental disorders.
2. Read the criteria from the highest percentage down, not the lowest up. You are looking for the highest tier your documented findings support.
3. Note whether the criteria are measurement-based (degrees of motion, FEV-1 percentages, decibel thresholds) or descriptive (occupational and social impairment language).
4. Read the notes under the code. Notes often control how to combine, how to count bilateral involvement, or when separate ratings are permitted.
5. Check § 4.7 — where the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria for the higher of two evaluations, the higher one is assigned.

General rating formulas

Some body systems use one shared formula rather than criteria unique to each code. Mental health conditions are nearly all rated under a single General Rating Formula that describes levels of occupational and social impairment. The spine uses a General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. In those systems, the specific diagnostic code identifies the diagnosis while the shared formula supplies the percentages.

Where to look up any code

Our diagnostic code lookup indexes every code in 38 CFR Part 4 with rating tiers for the most common conditions and direct links to the official eCFR text for the rest. Because criteria are amended periodically, always confirm against the current eCFR text before relying on a tier.

Frequently Asked Questions

References & sources

1. 38 CFR Part 4 — Schedule for Rating Disabilities — eCFR