Nutritional Deficiencies
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Nutritional Deficiencies Overview
Ratings for Nutritional Deficiencies
Nutritional Deficiencies Overview
The VA awards disability compensation for each Nutritional Deficiency that is service-connected. The DoD will also rate service-connected Nutritional Deficiencies as long as they also make the service member Unfit for Duty. For Reservists, the Nutritional Deficiency must have occurred in, or resulted from an injury in, the Line of Duty to qualify.
Nutritional Deficiencies occur when the body does not receive enough nutrients to properly function. Nutritional Deficiencies are fairly rare due to our plentiful diets. However, Nutritional Deficiencies can often occur as the result of a disease or condition that affects the bodies’ ability to absorb or use the nutrients.
The VASRD offers rating options for Nutritional Deficiencies based on the type of deficiency and the resulting symptoms.
To honor the Pyramiding Principle, only a single rating can be given for multiple Nutritional Deficiencies unless the symptoms can clearly be separated per condition. In most cases, the VA will rate multiple Nutritional Deficiencies using all of the symptoms combined together, and choose the single code they feel best defines the dominant disability (see The Nutritional Deficiency Ratings page for details).
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Ratings for Nutritional Deficiencies
The VASRD offers ratings for the following Nutritional Deficiencies:
If a Nutritional Deficiency is not directly listed, it is rated under the code that best describes it or its dominant symptoms. See the Nutritional Deficiency Ratings page.
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FAQs
Does my Nutritional Deficiency qualify for VA disability?
The VA will rate all Nutritional Deficiencies that officially qualify as service-connected. See our Service-Connection page to see if yours qualifies.
Does my Nutritional Deficiency qualify for DoD Disability?
The DoD will rate all Nutritional Deficiencies that officially qualify as service-connected and make you Unfit for Duty.
What benefits will I receive for my Nutritional Deficiency?
For a rating of 20% or less, the DoD will award a single lump sum separation payment. For a rating of 30% or more, the DoD will provide full retirement benefits. The VA will award you a monthly payment and full medical coverage for all of your service-connected conditions. The exact amount of the monthly payment will depend on your combined VA rating for your conditions.
Will the VA make my rating for my Nutritional Deficiency permanent?
The VA only assigns a Permanent and Total (P&T) status for conditions considered medically permanent that combine to equal a 100% rating.
Does my Nutritional Deficiency qualify me for Unemployability?
Not necessarily. You will only qualify for Individual Unemployability if your condition alone qualifies for a 60% rating (or 40% with a combined 70%) and has resulted in perpetual unemployment despite repeated attempts.
How much money will I receive monthly from the VA for my condition?
The exact amount you will receive monthly depends on your total combined rating and whether you have dependents. See our VA Rating Chart page for details on the current rates.
What do I do if my condition is service-connected, but my claim was denied?
You can appeal to have your claim reconsidered. Make sure that the VA has sufficient evidence to refute their reason for denial.
I have a C&P Exam scheduled. What should I expect?
The VA requires all conditions to be reviewed by their physicians in a C&P exam to ensure that the evidence necessary to properly rate the condition is recorded. You should go prepared with knowledge of how your conditions are rated so that you can make sure the physician records the essential information to get your conditions rated correctly.
