EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.
← All Condition GuidesCLAIM RECON INTEL
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
✓ VERIFIED AGAINST 38 C.F.R.§ 4.119 (Endocrine system) · reviewed 2026-05-15 · ClaimRecon Editorial Team
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 7903 of 38 CFR § 4.119, DC 7903 across 2 severity tiers (30% / 100%). Service connection requires (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service event, injury, or exposure, and (3) a medical nexus opinion linking the two under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303.
OVERVIEW
Autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, gradually destroying it. The most common cause of hypothyroidism. Rated under hypothyroidism criteria as it typically results in an underactive thyroid.
RATING CRITERIA (2 LEVELS)
30%
Hypothyroidism without myxedema.
100%
Hypothyroidism manifesting as myxedema (cold intolerance, muscular weakness, cardiovascular involvement (including, but not limited to, hypotension, bradycardia, and pericardial effusion), and mental disturbance (including, but not limited to, dementia, slowing of thought, and depression)).
KEY EVIDENCE TO GATHER
-Service treatment records showing injury or complaints
-Imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT)
-Range of motion measurements
-Flare-up documentation per Sharp v. Shulkin
-Buddy statements describing limitations
-Prescription history
-Physical therapy records
-Employment impact documentation
C&P EXAM TIPS (6)
1.Do NOT stretch, warm up, or take pain medication before your exam. The VA needs your baseline limitation.
2.Report your WORST day. DeLuca v. Brown requires documentation of functional loss during flare-ups.
3.Tell the examiner about flare-ups: frequency, duration, estimated ROM loss. Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) requires estimates.
4.Request active, passive, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing ROM testing per Correia v. McDonald (2016).
5.If you use assistive devices (brace, cane), bring them.
6.Describe daily activity impact: work, sleep, household tasks.
SOURCES & EDITORIAL
Rating criteria text quoted verbatim from 38 C.F.R. § 4.119 (Endocrine system). Source verified 2026-05-15 by ClaimRecon Editorial Team during a regulation-text comparison against the Cornell Law CFR mirror; eCFR.gov is the authoritative government source.
EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
CLAIM RECON 2026