If you are a veteran with a service-connected or secondary service-connected hypothyroidism case, you are eligible for VA disability benefits. It is a disease where the thyroid gland starts to make insufficient thyroid hormone for the body.
This common disability has an easy and effective medication, meaning that your condition may improve very soon with proper treatment. If VA notices this improvement, they will reduce the disability rating. But whether you are seeing the earliest symptoms of Hypothyroidism or already recovered from it but want the back pay, you must file a claim to VA. Let’s talk about how you can get it granted.
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Understanding Hypothyroidism and Its VA Eligibility Factor
The thyroid gland, located at the front of your neck, is responsible for producing enough thyroid hormone for various necessities. This hormone regulates blood pressure, heart rate, food’s conversion to energy, and body temperature. So, lack of it can cause several issues.
Hypothyroidism is the issue where the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough of this hormone. Don’t confuse it with hyperthyroidism, where it makes too much of it instead. While both of these cases have lots of symptoms, they are usually not noticeable right away.
If you want to be eligible for VA benefits for Hypothyroidism, the condition needs to be one of the following-
- It must be service-connected. Or,
- It must be secondary service-connected.
A secondary service-connected disease is when one or more service-connected disease causes other illnesses. In these cases, VA compensates for both (or all) of them.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Before you start the procedure to file a claim for VA benefits for Hypothyroidism, you want to be sure that your condition is definitely the disease in question. While anyone can get this disease, senior citizens tend to get it more. As a result, many may confuse the symptoms with other illnesses or their bodies weakening for their age.
In the worst-case scenario, the illness may lead to heart disease, heart failure, or increased cholesterol. These are some symptoms of Hypothyroidism for various ages
| Symptoms for an Adult | Symptoms for Children or Teen | Symptoms for Infants |
| Corse hair and skin, dry skin, thinning hair, Puffy face | Late puberty | Slowed growth and weight gain, poor muscle tone |
| Muscle aches and stiffness, weakening muscle, weight gain | Slowed development of permanent teeth | Jaundice, umbilical hernia |
| Higher sensitivity to cold, tiredness, lower heart rate | Slowed or not enough growth | Dry skin, enlarged tongue |
| Irregular or heavier menstrual cycles | Other symptoms similar to that of an adult | Horse crying, feeding issues |
| Memory problems, Depression | Constipation | |
| Constipation, Myxedema |
While the treatment for Hypothyroidism is not that serious, you must still visit the doctor if you see symptoms. The frequent visit to the doctor should go lower as the treatment continues and your condition improves.
How Should You Get Your VA Disability Hypothyroidism Claims Granted?
Filing a claim for hypothyroidism can take several steps. Here are brief explanations of them-
Filing the Claim
Since Hypothyroidism isn’t a presumptive disease, you need to provide sufficient evidence to prove that your case is connected to your service. Other than support letters from family, friends, or fellow veterans you served with, a Nexus letter from a doctor is also very effective.
However, if you got exposed to agent orange during service time, that can also lead to hypothyroidism. In that case, it will be a presumptive disability, and you won’t need to provide any evidence.
If your hypothyroidism is secondary to another disease, then you only need to provide evidence for the latter. These illnesses include Hashimoto’s disease, PTSD, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, and certain cancers. Your evidence in this case must prove the connection between your hypothyroidism and the leading disease(s).
Once you collect all the evidence, including a private medical report such as from the VA Disability Coach, you can submit them with your claim. When filing it online, the form mentions which proofs you need to add. Once you start it online, it gives you a year to complete the form. Make sure to log in to your VA account to keep your progress saved.
Attending the C&P Examination
Once VA starts to assess your claim, they will ask to examine you through a compensation and pension exam. You must attend it on the scheduled date (or request to reschedule it with valid reasons). The exam includes both checking your help and asking some questions.
Having a private physician complete your report and a Public Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) to help organize your medical details will help you secure approval of the claim. It usually takes VA a week to notify you of the approval or denial through mailing.
VA may also ask you to provide additional and specific information or evidence to help them assess your claim.
Aftermath
If VA approves your claim, they will start paying you the appropriate compensation and benefits within two weeks. VA will also pay any retroactive benefit along with this first payment in a lump sum. Then they will continue to pay future benefits on the VA payment date each month.
If VA denies your claim, they will also notify you about it. You can file another claim providing more evidence or hire a lawyer, claimant agent, or VSO to file a court appeal in this case.
Disability Rating for Hypothyroidism
There are two VA disability ratings for hypothyroidism under code 7903 of title 38 of federal code § 4.119. According to it, the ratings are-
- If your hypothyroidism hasn’t caused myxedema, you will receive a 30% VA rating.
- If your hypothyroidism is accompanied by myxedema, the rating will be 100%.
VA usually keeps an eye on your condition and reevaluates your hypothyroidism condition every six months. For example, if your myxedema has been declining for six months, VA may remove your 100% rating and reduce it to 30%.
At the same time, they will also check your hypothyroidism thoroughly. If necessary, VA will add or reduce the rating for any development of new but secondary diseases or any improvement.
You can also be eligible for the Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU), a separate benefit from your regular ones. You get it when your service-connected disability stops you from working a proper job. Here, you will get a monthly payment equal to a 100% disability rating. But there are many eligibility factors to meet here. Check them out here.
Final Note
Hypothyroidism can lead to severe consequences; treating them in time is imperative. But if yours is service-related, it is also wise to get your deserved VA benefits from it. Proceeding with the proper evidence is the key here. Do not forget about the retroactive benefits you may be eligible for. The faster you claim for your hypothyroidism, the better, since VA starts counting your payment usually from the date of your claim.