Getting service-connected for GERD is only the first step. The rating VA assigns determines how much compensation you receive, and the criteria are specific enough that understanding them before your C&P exam can make a real difference in the outcome.
VA rates GERD under Diagnostic Code 7346 (hiatal hernia), which is the closest analog in the rating schedule. The Schedule for Rating Disabilities does not have a standalone diagnostic code for GERD, so raters apply 7346 by analogy under 38 CFR 4.20.
If you're filing, file for "GERD" on your claim form. You do not need to use the words "hiatal hernia" as your claimed condition. VA assigns the diagnostic code internally. Claiming GERD is correct, and the rater will apply DC 7346 as the analogous code. This also means you don't need a hiatal hernia diagnosis to be rated under DC 7346; GERD alone qualifies.
This matters because the criteria under 7346 are organized around symptoms, not test results. You don't need an endoscopy showing erosive esophagitis to get a higher rating. You need documented symptoms that meet the severity thresholds.
The 10% rating applies to veterans with symptoms that are episodic, mild, and largely controlled with medication. If your reflux is occasional, responds well to a proton pump inhibitor, and doesn't significantly disrupt your daily activities, this is the typical floor.
A 30% rating requires documented evidence of persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation. In plain language: you have frequent heartburn and reflux that keeps coming back, difficulty swallowing, and episodes where stomach contents come back up. These symptoms need to appear in your medical records, not just on a questionnaire.
The 60% rating is reserved for severe cases with substernal or arm or shoulder pain mimicking angina pectoris, plus significant weight loss or hematemesis or melena, or with documented obstruction or other complications.
This is the highest rating under 7346. Veterans with Barrett's esophagus, esophageal stricture, or recurrent bleeding may qualify. See Barrett's esophagus and VA claims for a detailed discussion of how complications affect the rating.
VA raters look for a pattern in the medical record. A single clinic note mentioning GERD is not enough. To support a 30% or higher rating, your records should show:
The regularity of your complaints in the record is almost as important as the severity.
Beyond the rating schedule criteria, VA is required to consider how your GERD affects your ability to work and engage in daily activities. If severe reflux prevents you from lying down, causes sleep disruption, or limits the foods you can eat to the point that it affects your nutrition, those functional effects should be documented by your physician and described in detail on VA Form 21-4142a (lay statement).
A veteran who rates 30% on symptoms alone may qualify for a higher evaluation when the functional impact is fully captured.
If your GERD symptoms are severe but don't fit neatly into the 60% criteria, you may qualify for an extraschedular rating under 38 CFR 3.321(b)(1). This is appropriate when the schedular ratings are inadequate to compensate for the actual functional impairment. It requires a referral to the VA's Chief Benefits Director, but the mechanism exists and is worth pursuing in exceptional cases.
If GERD alone (or combined with other service-connected conditions) prevents you from maintaining substantially gainful employment, you may qualify for TDIU under 38 CFR 4.16. Severe, treatment-resistant GERD with significant weight loss or complications can reach that threshold when combined with other service-connected disabilities.
The most common reason veterans receive a lower rating than they deserve is incomplete documentation at the C&P exam. See GERD C&P exam: what examiners look for for a full breakdown of what happens at the exam and how to prepare.
Also review how to document GERD symptoms for a VA claim to ensure your records support the rating level your symptoms actually warrant.
If your current GERD rating doesn't reflect the severity of your symptoms, a physician-signed independent medical opinion addressing the rating criteria can support an appeal or a claim for increased rating. Flat Rate Nexus provides board-certified physician IMOs and free educational tools at flatratenexus.com, including a nexus letter grader and C&P exam preparation guide.
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