Could You Be Missing Out on a 100% Asthma VA Benefits? Here’s What You Need to Do!

It might be simpler than you think to receive a VA rating for asthma.

Veterans may be eligible for a presumed asthma VA disability, which would streamline the VA claims procedure, if they were exposed to harmful substances while serving in the armed forces.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a long-term, chronic respiratory disease that affects the airways in the lungs. Breathing becomes challenging because to the condition’s inflammation and constriction of the airways.

Asthma severity can vary from moderate to severe or even fatal, and it frequently necessitates continuous medical care.

Asthma Types

Asthma types include:

• Asthma brought on by exercise, which could worsen in dry, chilly air
• Dust, chemicals, gasses, and other job irritants can cause occupational asthma.
• Airborne allergens like pollen, mold spores, cockroach excrement, skin particles, and pet dander are frequently the cause of allergy-induced asthma.

VA Ratings for Asthma

With the given diagnostic code (DC) 6602, “asthma, bronchial,” the VA classifies asthma as a bronchial condition, meaning it affects the airways that lead to the lungs.

In accordance with CFR 38, Part 4, VA Schedule of Ratings, asthma is frequently rated.

Depending on a number of variables, an asthma VA rating may be 10%, 30%, 60%, or 100%. These considerations include:

The number of asthma episodes

How frequently asthma symptoms need to be managed with medicinal intervention

The FEV-1 and FVC ratios are the results of the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), which gauges your lung capacity.

Requirements for asthma medications (such as oxygen therapy, systemic corticosteroids (like dexamethasone or prednisone), or inhalational therapy (like inhalers and nebulizers)

Verifying the Service Connection

When a handicap is brought on by (or made worse by) military service, the VA refers to it as a service connection.

You must demonstrate that your asthma is service-connected by meeting the requirements of service connection if you don’t fulfill the PACT Act because you didn’t serve in a particular geographic area (such as Southwest Asia after September 11, 2001) or for other reasons.

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You must demonstrate a service connection by:

1. An asthma diagnosis made recently
2. Proof of an Aggravation, Disease, Injury, or In-Service Event
3. A connection (link) made by competent medical evidence between #1 and #2 (which may be a nexus letter)

VA Rating for Asthma: PACT Act

Under the PACT Act, veterans who served in the Persian Gulf or certain areas of Southwest Asia may be eligible for an asthma presumptive service connection.

Veterans who experience certain medical conditions, such as asthma, that are “presumed” to be brought on by toxic substances, such as those released by burn pits, chemicals (like Agent Orange), or environmental hazards (like extended exposure to sandstorms or other airborne hazards), while serving in the military are eligible under the PACT Act.

You won’t have to demonstrate a service connection if you satisfy the PACT Act’s presumed condition standards. But in order to be eligible, you have to fulfill certain requirements.

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Secondary Conditions of Asthma in the VA

Asthma can either cause or worsen other medical diseases, also referred to as “secondary conditions.”

You can be eligible for an increase in VA disability compensation if it is established that your service-connected asthma is caused by a secondary ailment.

Asthma-related secondary conditions include:

• Asthma and GERD (DC code 7206) frequently co-occur because of elevated pressure on the diaphragm. GERD is also referred to as acid reflux or heartburn.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Prolonged, severe inflammation and narrowing of the upper airways can cause the upper airway to collapse while you sleep, which can exacerbate or even cause sleep apnea (DC 6847).
• Allergies: Asthma-induced inflammation might intensify pre-existing allergies (DC 6522).
• Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction, or Vocal Cord Dysfunction
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, DC code 6604) or asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) might result from airway remodeling brought on by asthma’s long-term inflammation. Thickened and constricted airways are a result of airway remodeling, which can cause irreversible lung function loss.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Insulin resistance can be exacerbated by asthma-related chronic inflammation, which leads to the development of type 2 diabetes (DC code 7913).
• Depression and anxiety: Having a long-term illness, such as asthma, can affect your mental health and lead to or exacerbate mental health issues like depression (DC 9434) or anxiety (DC 9400).

Making an Asthma Disability VA Claim

You can submit your claim in person at your local VA center, via mail, fax, or online. For claims that are not submitted electronically, you must download and fill out VA Form 21-526EZ.