Over a million veterans have vision impairments that require assistance, and about 130,000 are legally blind. The VA provides disability benefits for a wide range of eye conditions, including common issues such as cataracts and glaucoma, as well as more complex disorders like diabetic retinopathy.
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Veterans may be eligible to receive VA disability ratings for service-connected eye conditions. The VA rates many eye conditions between 10% and 60% using the General Formula for Diseases of the Eye. We explain more about VA eye disability ratings and what to do if they prevent you from working.
In this article about the VA ratings for eye conditions:
What eye problems qualify for VA disability?
Veterans may be eligible for VA disability benefits if they have eye problems caused or worsened by their military service.
Some common eye problems that may qualify veterans for disability benefits include:
- Astigmatism
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Keratopathy
- Macular degeneration
- Scleritis
- Unhealed eye injuries
- Visual impairment and blindness
These eye conditions could be a result of injuries or illnesses that developed during service, or they could be existing conditions that were aggravated while serving. In some cases, veterans may develop secondary conditions from other service-connected issues.
Regardless, any service-connected eye condition can be eligible for VA disability.
VA eye disability ratings
The VA rates most eye conditions based on the number of incapacitating episodes you experience. The VA defines incapacitating episodes as times you need to seek treatment for your condition.
Most eye conditions fall under diagnostic codes 6000 – 6099 in the Schedule of Ratings, with many ratings using the criteria outlined in the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye.
Before receiving a rating, you will likely be asked to undergo a C&P exam to evaluate your visual acuity, field of vision, eye functionality, and treatment needs. The rating may also vary depending on whether the condition is present in one or both eyes.
General VA Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye
As previously mentioned, many eye conditions are rated using the general formula, including scleritis, keratopathy, forms of glaucoma, and chronic dry eye syndrome. The General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye rates using the following criteria:
Other eye conditions’ VA ratings
Some eye conditions are evaluated using different rating criteria. Conditions such as partial or complete blindness or significant visual impairment are rated based on the severity of the vision loss. Other eye-related conditions, such as photophobia and occipital neuralgia, also rate differently.
Photophobia VA rating
Veterans who have photophobia have a severe sensitivity to light, which can cause discomfort and pain. Photophobia is often a symptom of other underlying conditions. Among other causes, it may be experienced alongside migraines or caused by traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Photophobia does not have its own diagnostic code, but may be included as a symptom of the condition causing it.
Occipital neuralgia VA rating
Occipital neuralgia involves the occipital nerves. It can cause severe headaches and impact vision.
As with photophobia, there is no diagnostic code for the condition. However, it can be rated using the criteria for migraines under diagnostic code 8100. Both conditions cause debilitating head pain that may lead to “prostrating attacks,” requiring the veteran to lie down and rest to recover.
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VA disability for blindness
The VA rating for blindness or severe visual impairment is determined using diagnostic codes 6061-6090. Central visual acuity (how well your eyes distinguish shapes and details of objects from a distance), visual field, and muscle function in the eyes are taken into consideration as well as whether an eye is missing. Depending on the severity of these aspects of your vision, you may receive a rating between 10% and 100%.
If you experience blindness in both eyes or have lost both eyes due to service, you will automatically receive a 100% rating.
Blindness or loss of one or both eyes can also qualify you for special monthly compensation (SMC), which is a type of disability benefit for veterans that increases the compensation they receive for certain disabilities such as the loss or loss of use of an organ.
Eye problems as secondary conditions
Many veterans experience eye problems that are not directly caused by their military service but are secondary to other service-connected conditions. These conditions may also develop as side effects of medication used to treat another service-connected condition. Veterans with secondary eye conditions may be owed additional compensation from the VA.
Secondary eye problems include:
- Along with retinopathy, diabetes can result in glaucoma and cataracts
- Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with the thinning of the cornea
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) often causes optic neuritis, inflammation that can damage the optic nerve and lead to vision loss
- Medications for many conditions, including blood pressure regulation, erectile dysfunction, lupus, and epilepsy, can cause eye conditions such as retinopathy or glaucoma
TDIU for eye conditions
In some cases, a veteran may be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for their eye problems. TDIU is also known as individual unemployability or simply IU. Veterans are eligible for these benefits if they can’t hold down “substantially gainful” employment due to their service-connected conditions. Vision loss and other eye issues may make many types of work difficult if not impossible.
Veterans who receive TDIU benefits are compensated at the same level as those with a 100% disability rating, even though their combined rating is below 100%.
Veterans will typically be eligible for TDIU if they have:
- One service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling OR
- Two or more service-connected disabilities with at least one rated at 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more
How Woods & Woods can help
Woods & Woods has been fighting for people with injuries and disabilities since 1985. Our team of accredited VA disability lawyers, case managers, legal analysts, and intake specialists knows the ins and outs of the VA so you don’t have to do all the hard work. Call us today for your free and confidential case evaluation.
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Frequently asked questions
Some eye problems that may qualify veterans for disability benefits include cataracts, glaucoma, keratopathy, macular degeneration, scleritis, eye Injuries, visual impairment, and blindness. To receive VA disability, the condition must be service connected.
The VA rates eye conditions based on their severity and impact on the veteran’s vision or how often they need treatment. Ratings consider factors such as incapacitating episodes that require a doctor’s visit, along with a veteran’s visual acuity, field of vision, and eye functionality. The VA rates many eye conditions using the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye, which provides a rating between 10% and 60%, while others have their own diagnostic codes.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
