Acid Reflux VA Disability – Rating and How to Get Benefits

You may be able to receive up to a 60% disability rating from the VA for acid reflux, which makes you entitled to at least $1,400.65 in monthly compensation rate. 

Before you get ready to apply for a veteran’s disability claim for acid reflux, there are several things to know to be ready. Firstly, acid reflux does not have its own rating criteria, and the VA provides a rating from another diagnostic code based on your symptoms.

Moreover, it’s essential to understand when you are eligible for disability compensation for acid reflux and how much rating you may get based on your symptoms.

We will discuss all of it here to help you in your journey to better health. Let’s get started –

Acid Reflux

According to the NHS, acid reflux or heartburn is a feeling of burning sensation in the chest. This sensation is caused when stomach acid flows up to the throat. 

The symptoms of acid reflux may involve –

• Heartburn 
• Sour taste in your mouth
• Bad breath
• Cough or hiccup
• Bloating
• Feeling sick
• A hoarse voice

Acid reflux can be caused or worsened by many factors, including –

• Smoking
• Certain drinks and food
• Stress and anxiety
• Pregnancy
• Some medicines, etc.

Acid Reflux vs GERD

Chronic acid reflux is called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. It is when you face heartburn or acid reflux on a regular basis, as the valve inside your body does not close properly when food reaches your stomach, causing acid to rush to your throat.

While the VA does not provide disability ratings for acid refluxes alone, GERD has its own ratings. Therefore, you can only apply for disability benefits when you suffer from chronic acid refluxes.

VA Disability Rating for Acid Reflux

While acid reflux does not have its own rating criteria, the VA uses Diagnostic Code 7346 for hiatal hernia for rating this condition. You can get anywhere from a 10% to 60% disability rating for acid reflux, and here are the details for each rating –

60% Rating for Acid Reflux

When you are suffering from the following symptoms due to acid reflux causing severe impairment of health, you may be eligible for a 60% VA rating –

• Vomiting
• Pain
• Hematemesis
• Material weight loss
• Melena with moderate anemia 

30% Rating for Acid Reflux

A 30% VA rating is given to veterans who suffer from acid reflux with “persistently recurrent epigastric discomfort with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation, accompanied by substernal or arm and shoulder pain, producing considerable impairment of health.” Here’s what this means –

• Persistently recurrent epigastric discomfort: This means you are experiencing ongoing pain or discomfort in the upper middle part of your abdomen, just below the rib cage.
• Dysphagia: Dysphagia is a symptom of GERD where you find it hard to swallow food or liquid. 
• Pyrosis: Pyrosis refers to heartburn caused by stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus. 
• Regurgitation: When partially digested food or stomach acid flows back to the throat or mouth, it’s called regurgitation.
• Substernal or arm and shoulder pain: Sternum is the breastbone, and substernal pain refers to the pain felt behind the breastbone. 
• Productive of considerable impairment of health: This means that all these symptoms have significantly affected someone’s overall health and daily life.

To summarize, you need to have symptoms of ongoing pain in the upper abdomen, difficulty swallowing, heartburn, regurgitation of stomach content, and pain in the chest, arm, or shoulder for a 30% disability rating related to acid reflux.

10% Rating for Acid Reflux

If you have the symptoms of a 30% rating for GERD (epigastric discomfort, dysphagia, pyrosis, regurgitation, substernal or arm and shoulder pain) with less severity, you may be eligible for a 10% disability rating.

Are You Eligible for Acid Reflux Disability Benefits?

Do you want to know if you qualify for acid reflux disability benefits? Here are the terms: –

Diagnosis

Before filing a disability claim, you must have a correct diagnosis of acid reflux. You can obtain a diagnosis from a physician or obtain earlier medical records, such as military paperwork, to give to the VA when seeking compensation. 

Service Connection

Most disabilities require a documented service connection in order to be eligible for VA compensation, and acid reflux is one of them. Veterans filing for acid reflux disability must show that the condition was directly or indirectly caused or exacerbated by an in-service incident, disease, or accident.

Symptoms and Functional Impairment

Your medical records must document chronic and recurring GERD symptoms that are interfering with your health and everyday life. The VA will assign you a disability rating based on the severity of your symptoms and their impact on your life.

How is GERD Rated for VA Disability?

Gerd disability rating explained: When evaluating GERD for VA disability, the severity of symptoms and their impact on daily life determine the rating. The VA uses the GERD rating schedule, which considers factors such as medication use, treatment effectiveness, symptom frequency, weight loss, and more. A higher disability rating is assigned if the condition significantly affects the ability to work and perform daily activities.

Tips for Filing a Claim

It is very unusual for veterans to receive a lesser disability rating than they deserve as a result of an incorrect claim. If you don’t make sure your claim includes all the VA requires, you’ll have to spend months arguing the VA’s decision. To avoid such problems, follow these guidelines:

• Begin by gathering any pertinent medical records, such as diagnostic papers and treatment records that may be presented to the VA. 
• If the severity of your acid reflux has resulted in job impairment, obtain any work records that may be relevant to the VA.
• If you have documented the symptoms of your disease in a notebook that indicates how acid reflux impacts your daily life, it can be used as proof when filing a claim.
• For veterans who have never filed a claim for their illness before, doing so for the first time might be intimidating. As a result, you may seek assistance from specialists like VA Disability Coach, who can make the process easier and boost your chances of receiving the rating you deserve. 

Conclusion

Prepare to file an appeal if the VA’s judgment does not reflect the severity of your disease. While it may take many months to get your disability rating, if your appeal is successful, you will be eligible for significantly greater compensation.