The VASRD is an abbreviation for the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. It details the set of federal regulations found under 38 CFR Part 4, that VA uses to evaluate the severity of a service-connected condition and assign a disability percentage.
The disability ratings veterans receive are based on the criteria established in the VASRD.
Understanding the VASRD is especially important for veterans who want to learn more about how to apply for VA disability. The VASRD schedule of ratings, with its human body and organ systems, serves as a frame of reference and foundation that allows the VA to decide your rating, or what will happen after you submit your claim.
Here at Just4Veterans Enterprise, we understand that learning how the VA disability process works does not happen overnight. Veterans may also encounter questions about medical evidence, diagnostic codes, symptoms, and other information the VA may consider when evaluating a disability to strengthen your claim.
Fortunately, our veteran coaches are here to ensure that you have the right educational guidance to navigate the VA process without getting lost.
For this article, we take a closer look at the VASRD definition, how the VA rating schedule is organized, and why understanding the 15 body systems can give veterans a clearer picture of how VA evaluates disabilities.
What is the VASRD, and Why Does the Body System Classification Matter?
In simple terms, the VASRD is a catalog of diagnostic codes tied to a criteria and rating, which can range from 0% to 100%.
Whenever someone refers to a “VASRD code or “VASRD codes”, they are generally referring to the Diagnostic Codes found in the rating schedule.
One of the most important features of the VASRD is the way disabilities are organized by body and organ system. The rating schedule groups conditions into 15 body systems, with each system containing its own rating criteria and Diagnostic Codes.
Think of it like a library: the body system is the section, the Diagnostic Code is the book, and the rating criteria explain how VA evaluates the condition.
This organization matters for several reasons:
- It shapes the evidence worth gathering. Different body systems are evaluated using different medical findings and rating criteria. For example, a cardiovascular condition is measured by workload tolerance, while a mental disorder is measured by occupational and social impairment. Understanding the human body and organ system tells you which records, test results, and medical opinions fit the criteria.
- It affects Individual Unemployability eligibility. Several conditions within one body system can be treated differently from the same number of conditions spread across systems (more on this below).
Related Reading:
The 15 VA Body and Organ Systems
The VA rating schedule organizes conditions into the following 15 human body organ systems:
- Musculoskeletal: Movement and support
- Back and spine
- Neck
- Knee
- Shoulder conditions
- Arthritis
- Organs of Special Sense (Eye): Vision.
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Retinal disease
- Auditory Acuity (Ear): Hearing and balance.
- Hearing loss
- Tinnitus
- Ménière’s disease
- Respiratory: Breathing.
- Asthma
- COPD
- Sleep apnea
- Sinusitis
- Cardiovascular: Circulation.
- Hypertension
- Coronary artery disease
- Arrhythmias
- Digestive: Nutrient absorption.
- GERD
- IBS
- Ulcers
- Crohn’s disease
- Genitourinary: Waste filtration and urinary function.
- Kidney disease
- Erectile dysfunction
- Incontinence
- Gynecological Conditions and Disorders of the Breast: Reproductive health.
- Endometriosis
- Hysterectomy residuals
- Breast cancer
- Hemic and Lymphatic: Blood and lymph function.
- Anemia
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Endocrine: Hormone regulation.
- Diabetes
- Thyroid disorders
- Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders: Nervous system control.
- Migraines
- Traumatic brain injury residuals
- Epilepsy
- Neuropathy
- Mental Disorders: Mood and thoughts.
- Dental and Oral: Chewing and speech.
- Tooth loss
- Jaw impairment
- TMJ disorders
- Bruxism
- Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders, and Nutritional Deficiencies: Defense against illness.
- Malaria
- HIV
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
Why You Might See a Different Number of Body Systems Elsewhere?
You may see different numbers of body systems depending on the source because general anatomy references and the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities do not organize the human body in exactly the same way.
For example, anatomy textbooks may group the body’s systems differently for educational purposes. The VASRD, however, is organized according to the categories VA uses to evaluate disabilities rather than a standard anatomy textbook classification.
For VA disability-rating purposes, 38 C.F.R. Part 4 Subpart B organizes the rating schedule into 15 body and organ system categories. These include separate categories for the Organs of Special Sense and Impairment of Auditory Acuity, along with the other systems covered in the rating schedule.
Therefore, when discussing the VASRD, the 15-system classification is the most relevant framework to use.
VASRD is Being Modernized, Here’s Where It Stands
The current rating framework rests on the 1945 overhaul of VASRD, although VA has amended individual rating criteria many times since then.
The VA began a comprehensive modernization effort in 2009; September 2017 is when the first updated rules took effect. As of today, VA still hasn’t published final rules for mental disorders, respiratory, ear and neurological conditions.
As of January 2026, VA had updated 11 of the 15 body systems; the remaining four were:
- Mental disorders
- Respiratory conditions
- Ear/auditory conditions
- Neurological and convulsive disorders
VA told Congress it expected to publish the final rules for those four systems through three rulemakings by the end of fiscal year 2026, which ended September 30, 2026.
As of this writing (October 2026), VA had not published final rules for those four systems in the Federal Register, so the existing rating criteria remain in effect. Proposed changes do not apply to any claim unless and until VA publishes a final rule.
Existing ratings are also protected from reduction based solely on a later revision to the schedule. Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.951(a), a readjustment to the rating schedule is not, by itself, grounds for reducing a disability rating that was in effect on the date of the readjustment, unless medical evidence shows that the disability has actually improved.
When a Condition Touches More Than One Body System
There are some instances in which one service-connected condition affects more than one body system. In that case, the VA may rate separate and distinct manifestations, but it cannot rate the same symptom or disability twice. This is different from a secondary condition, which is a separate condition caused or aggravated by a service-connected condition.
This is the controlling rule of 38 CFR 4.14, “Avoidance of pyramiding”.
The VA will generally evaluate each disability separately, then combine the ratings under 38 CFR 4.25. If a single disease or injury affected multiple systems, the VA must distinguish them between:
- Distinct, non-overlapping manifestations, which may receive separate diagnostic-code evaluations.
- The same disability or the same symptoms, which may not be evaluated under multiple diagnostic codes.
For example, diabetes can affect the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and cardiovascular system. The VA may assign separate evaluations for genuinely distinct complications, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy, if their symptoms do not overlap. But it cannot compensate for the same symptom, such as the same fatigue or the same vision loss, under multiple codes.
Sample cases:
Related Reading: What is VA Pyramiding?
How Body Systems Can Matter for TDIU
Body-system classification can be important when VA evaluates the schedular requirements for Total Disability on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
Under 38 CFR 4.16(a), VA treats certain groups of disabilities as a single disability when deciding whether a veteran meets the minimum rating thresholds for schedular TDIU.
One of those categories includes disabilities affecting a single body system, such as the orthopedic, digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular-renal, or neuropsychiatric system.
For example, suppose a veteran has three service-connected orthopedic conditions:
- Back disability: 30%
- Right knee disability: 20%
- Left ankle disability: 10%
Because all three affect the same general body system, they may be considered one disability for purposes of determining whether the schedular TDIU threshold is met.
This does not mean the percentages are simply added together. VA still combines them using its combined-ratings table (38 C.F.R. § 4.25, including the bilateral factor in § 4.26 because both legs are involved). In this example, the combined value is 50%. Treated as one disability, that 50% is still below the 60% single-disability threshold, so these three conditions alone would not meet the schedular percentage requirement.
VA may award schedular TDIU when service-connected disabilities prevent a veteran from securing or following substantially gainful employment and the applicable percentage requirements are met.
| Situation | Minimum rating requirement |
|---|---|
| One service-connected disability causes unemployability | That disability must be rated 60% or higher |
| Two or more service-connected disabilities cause unemployability | At least one disability must be rated 40% or higher, and the combined rating must be 70% or higher |
Veterans who do not meet these percentages may still be considered for TDIU on an extraschedular basis under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).
Related Reading: Income Limits for VA Unemployability with TDIU | J4V
Why Understanding Your Body System Category Matters
Knowing which body system and Diagnostic Code apply to a service-connected condition can give you a clearer picture of the criteria VA uses to evaluate that disability.
It can also make it easier to understand why certain medical findings, test results, symptoms, and functional limitations may be relevant to a particular rating.
Understanding the VASRD does not determine what rating VA will assign. Ratings depend on the applicable criteria and the evidence VA evaluates in each veteran’s individual circumstances.
Just 4 Veterans Enterprise offers professional coaching and consultation services and disability benefits education services designed to explain the VA rating schedule, Diagnostic Codes, and other parts of the VA disability benefits process in clear, understandable terms.
Visit our VA Claims Consulting page to learn more about our professional coaching and consultation services or book a free strategy call with our veteran coaches today.