VA Claims Intel

GERD VA Rating: The PTSD Medication Connection Nobody Tells You About

GERD (DC 7346) rates from 10-60%. How PTSD medications like NSAIDs and SSRIs cause GERD as a secondary condition under 38 C.F.R. 3.310.

Flat Feet VA Rating: Why the VA Denies This More Than Almost Any Other Condition

Pes planus (DC 5276) rates from 0-50%. How to overcome the pre-existing condition defense, plantar fasciitis by analogy, and the secondary condition chain.

How to Increase Your VA Disability Rating: The 5 Strategies That Actually Work in 2026

Five proven strategies: secondary conditions under 38 C.F.R. 3.310, claims for increase, bilateral factor, TDIU under 4.16, and SMC. No coaching fees required.

Carpal Tunnel VA Rating: Your Dominant Hand Is Worth More and Most Veterans Miss It

Carpal tunnel (DC 8515) rates from 10-70%. Dominant hand gets higher ratings. Bilateral factor applies. EMG/NCS testing determines your severity level.

How to File a VA Supplemental Claim in 2026: The Complete 20-0995 Guide

A supplemental claim is the fastest path to reversing a VA denial. What counts as new and relevant evidence under 38 C.F.R. 3.2501, the one-year effective date trap, duty to assist, and step-by-step filing instructions.

The VA Bilateral Factor: How Paired Conditions Add 10% to Your Rating

Both knees rated? Both shoulders? Under 38 C.F.R. 4.26, paired extremity conditions get a 10% boost before entering VA math. Most veterans never know this exists. The math, the conditions, and how to verify.

Migraine VA Rating: The Word 'Prostrating' Is Worth $1,000/Month

Migraines rated under DC 8100 on frequency of prostrating attacks. 10% to 50% based on one word. Secondary connections to TBI, tinnitus, PTSD.

Anxiety and Depression VA Rating: How Occupational Impairment Determines Your Percentage

Same formula as PTSD. Rated on occupational and social impairment, not diagnosis. 0-100% criteria, Mauerhan v. Principi, and why symptoms are examples not requirements.

The VA Built an AI to Find Fraud in Your Claims. Here's What Their Own Inspector General Found in Theirs.

VA OIG found their own calculator underpaid veterans up to $4,170/mo. Federal courts remand 80% of Board decisions. Now the VA is scanning your DBQs for fraud. Every number sourced from .gov reports and peer-reviewed research.

Knee VA Rating: Why Most Veterans Leave Money on the Table

You can receive separate ratings for flexion, extension, AND instability on EACH knee. Most veterans only get one. VAOPGCPREC 23-97 and 9-04 protect your right to separate ratings.

Tinnitus VA Rating: It's Capped at 10%. Here's Why It Still Matters.

Tinnitus is the #1 claimed disability at 10% max. But that 10% opens the door to secondaries worth $500-$1,500+/mo: migraines, depression, insomnia, TBI.

VA Effective Dates: The Single Most Expensive Thing Veterans Get Wrong

Every month between when your effective date SHOULD start and when it DOES start is money the VA keeps. BDD, Intent to File, and the factually ascertainable rule under 38 C.F.R. 3.400.

How to Prepare for a C&P Exam in 2026: The Complete Guide

The C&P exam is the most important event in your claim. ROM testing procedures, what to say, what not to say, Correia, Sharp, DeLuca, and how the VA rates your exam.

PTSD VA Rating Explained: What Each Percentage Actually Requires

PTSD is rated on occupational and social impairment, not diagnosis severity. The 0-100% criteria under 38 C.F.R. 4.130, combat stressor concession, MST rules, and secondary conditions.

VA Presumptive Conditions in 2026: The Complete List

Presumptive service connection means no nexus letter needed. PACT Act burn pit conditions, Agent Orange, Gulf War illness, Camp Lejeune, radiation exposure. Every category covered.

Back Pain VA Disability Rating: ROM Thresholds, Secondary Conditions, and What Examiners Measure

Lumbar spine is one of the most commonly claimed conditions. The exact ROM thresholds for 10-100%, IVDS formula, radiculopathy secondaries, and how the C&P exam works.

Sleep Apnea VA Rating: The CPAP Rule, PTSD Secondary, and What's Changing

CPAP use = 50% rating. Sleep apnea secondary to PTSD adds $970/month to a 50% PTSD rating. Current criteria, the secondary connection, and evidence requirements.

The VA Nexus Letter: What It Is, Who Writes It, and Why It Makes or Breaks Your Claim

A nexus letter is a medical opinion linking your current condition to military service. Under 38 C.F.R. 3.159, the VA requires competent medical evidence for service connection.

PTSD C&P Exam: What to Expect, How Raters Score It, and the Criteria That Matter

The PTSD C&P exam uses DSM-5 criteria and rates under 38 C.F.R. 4.130, DC 9411. Occupational and social impairment across four levels.

Intent to File: The One-Page Form Worth Thousands in Retroactive Pay

VA Form 21-0966 locks in your effective date up to one year before you submit your full claim. Under 38 C.F.R. 3.155, every day without an ITF is money you cannot get back.

Burn Pit Claims Under the PACT Act: Presumptive Conditions, Eligibility, and How to File

The PACT Act created presumptive service connection for 23+ conditions related to toxic exposure. If you served in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Southwest Asia, you may not need to prove individual exposure.

How to Reach 100% VA Disability: Schedular, TDIU, and the Strategic Approach

Three paths to 100%: schedular combined ratings, TDIU for individual unemployability, and SMC for specific losses. The math, the secondaries, and the filing order.

VA Appeals Under AMA: Supplemental Claims, Higher-Level Reviews, and Board Appeals

Denied or underrated? Three decision review lanes under the Appeals Modernization Act. Full timelines, evidence rules, and lane-switching strategy.

TDIU: Getting Paid at the 100% Rate Without a 100% Schedular Rating

Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability under 38 C.F.R. 4.16. Schedular and extraschedular eligibility, VA Form 21-8940, and substantially gainful employment rules.

VA Rating Reductions: Your Rights and the Protections Most Veterans Don't Know About

The VA cannot reduce your rating without specific procedural protections. The 5-year rule, 10-year rule, 20-year rule, and what triggers a review.

BDD Claims: Filing Before You Separate for the Best Effective Date

Benefits Delivery at Discharge lets you file 180-90 days before separation. Your effective date is the day after discharge. The single most valuable thing you can do.

CRDP vs CRSC: Which Concurrent Receipt Program Applies to You?

Military retirees with VA disability may receive concurrent retirement and disability pay. CRDP vs CRSC eligibility, combat-related determination, and which pays more.

Other Than Honorable Discharge: VA Benefits You May Still Be Eligible For

An OTH discharge does not automatically disqualify you from VA benefits. Character of discharge determinations, insanity defense, and which benefits remain available.

2026 VA Disability Compensation Rates: Full Breakdown with 2.8% COLA

Complete 2026 VA disability rates effective December 1, 2025. Single, married, with dependents. 10% through 100% with 2.8% COLA increase.

The VA Medication Rule: How Prescriptions Affect Your Rating

Continuous medication for a condition can establish a minimum compensable rating. How the VA weighs medication in rating decisions.

VA Secondary Conditions: The Complete Guide to 38 C.F.R. 3.310

Secondary service connection under 38 C.F.R. 3.310. What qualifies, how to establish the nexus, and the most common secondary conditions that veterans miss.

VA Math Explained: How the VA Calculates Your Combined Rating

The VA does not add ratings. Under 38 C.F.R. 4.25, each rating applies to the remaining healthy percentage. 50% + 30% = 65%, not 80%.