Va Disability Compensation Combined Rating Calculator

VA Disability Combined Rating Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate your combined VA disability rating based on multiple individual disability percentages. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses a specific "whole person" methodology, not simple addition, to combine ratings.

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function calculateCombinedRating() { var ratings = []; for (var i = 1; i 0) { ratings.push(ratingValue); } } if (ratings.length === 0) { document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Please enter at least one disability rating."; return; } // Sort ratings in descending order for VA math ratings.sort(function(a, b) { return b – a; }); var currentCombined = 0; for (var j = 0; j < ratings.length; j++) { var currentRating = ratings[j]; // VA Math formula: newCombined = currentCombined + (newRating / 100) * (100 – currentCombined) currentCombined = currentCombined + (currentRating / 100) * (100 – currentCombined); } var unroundedResult = currentCombined; var roundedResult = Math.round(currentCombined / 10) * 10; var resultHtml = "

Your Estimated Combined VA Disability Rating:

"; resultHtml += "Unrounded Combined Rating: " + unroundedResult.toFixed(2) + "%"; resultHtml += "Rounded VA Combined Rating: " + roundedResult + "%"; resultHtml += "The VA rounds to the nearest 10%. For example, 72% rounds to 70%, and 75% rounds to 80%."; document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = resultHtml; } .va-disability-calculator { font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; max-width: 700px; margin: 20px auto; padding: 25px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; border-radius: 8px; background-color: #f9f9f9; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); } .va-disability-calculator h2 { color: #2c3e50; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; font-size: 1.8em; } .va-disability-calculator p { color: #34495e; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 15px; } .calculator-form label { display: block; margin-bottom: 8px; color: #34495e; font-weight: bold; font-size: 0.95em; } .calculator-form input[type="number"] { width: calc(100% – 22px); padding: 10px; margin-bottom: 15px; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 5px; font-size: 1em; box-sizing: border-box; } .calculator-form button { display: block; width: 100%; padding: 12px 20px; background-color: #28a745; color: white; border: none; border-radius: 5px; font-size: 1.1em; cursor: pointer; transition: background-color 0.3s ease; margin-top: 20px; } .calculator-form button:hover { background-color: #218838; } .calculator-result { margin-top: 30px; padding: 20px; border: 1px solid #d4edda; border-radius: 8px; background-color: #e2f0e4; color: #155724; font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; } .calculator-result h3 { color: #155724; margin-top: 0; font-size: 1.4em; } .calculator-result p { margin-bottom: 8px; color: #155724; } .calculator-result strong { color: #0f3d1a; font-size: 1.2em; }

Understanding VA Combined Disability Ratings

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides disability compensation to veterans who have service-connected conditions. When a veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities, the VA does not simply add the individual percentages together. Instead, they use a specific method known as "VA Math" or the "whole person" theory to arrive at a combined rating.

The "Whole Person" Theory Explained

The VA's approach assumes that a veteran is 100% efficient or "whole" before any disabilities. Each disability reduces this efficiency. When combining multiple disabilities, the VA starts with the highest rating and then applies subsequent ratings to the *remaining efficiency* of the veteran. This means that each additional disability has a progressively smaller impact on the overall combined rating.

Here's how it works in principle:

1. Identify all individual service-connected disability ratings. These are the percentages assigned to each condition (e.g., 20% for tinnitus, 50% for PTSD).
2. Order the ratings from highest to lowest. This is a crucial step in VA math.
3. Start with the highest rating. This becomes your initial combined rating.
4. Combine the next highest rating with the remaining "efficiency." For example, if your highest rating is 60%, you are considered 40% efficient (100% – 60%). If your next rating is 30%, the VA calculates 30% of that remaining 40% efficiency (0.30 * 40% = 12%). This 12% is then added to your initial 60%, resulting in a 72% combined rating.
5. Repeat the process. Each subsequent disability rating is applied to the *new remaining efficiency* after the previous combination.
6. Round to the nearest 10%. Once all disabilities are combined, the VA rounds the final percentage to the nearest 10%. For example, 72% rounds down to 70%, while 75% rounds up to 80%.

Why Simple Addition Doesn't Work

If the VA simply added ratings, a veteran with a 60% rating and a 50% rating would have a 110% rating, which doesn't make sense in the context of a "whole person." The VA math system ensures that the combined rating never exceeds 100% and reflects the progressive impact of multiple conditions on a veteran's overall health and ability to function.

Example of VA Math:

Let's say a veteran has three service-connected disabilities with ratings of 60%, 30%, and 20%.

• Step 1: Sort Ratings: 60%, 30%, 20%
• Step 2: Combine 60% and 30%:
  • Start with 60%. Remaining efficiency: 100% – 60% = 40%.
  • Apply 30% to remaining efficiency: 30% of 40% = 12%.
  • New combined rating: 60% + 12% = 72%.
• Step 3: Combine 72% and 20%:
  • Current combined rating: 72%. Remaining efficiency: 100% – 72% = 28%.
  • Apply 20% to remaining efficiency: 20% of 28% = 5.6%.
  • New combined rating: 72% + 5.6% = 77.6%.
• Step 4: Round to Nearest 10%: 77.6% rounds up to 80%.

This calculator automates this complex process, allowing you to quickly estimate your combined VA disability rating.