Asthma — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Asthma
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960L-1 (Respiratory Conditions (Other Than Tuberculosis and Sleep Apnea)) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
What the examiner measures
- Pulmonary Function Test values — FEV-1 (percent predicted) and FEV-1/FVC ratio — the objective drivers under DC 6602
- Whether daily inhalational/oral bronchodilator or inhalational anti-inflammatory medication is required (30% level)
- Frequency of physician visits for exacerbations (at least monthly supports 60%)
- Intermittent courses (3+/year) of systemic corticosteroids (60%); daily high-dose or immunosuppressive meds (100%)
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Asthma — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Asthma, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Asthma
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.97, DC 6602 (bronchial asthma). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
FEV-1 of 71 to 80 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy.
FEV-1 of 56 to 70 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy, or inhalational anti-inflammatory medication.
FEV-1 of 40 to 55 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or at least monthly visits to a physician for required care of exacerbations, or intermittent (at least three per year) courses of systemic (oral or parenteral) corticosteroids.
FEV-1 less than 40 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent, or more than one attack per week with episodes of respiratory failure, or requires daily use of systemic (oral or parenteral) high dose corticosteroids or immuno-suppressive medications.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Asthma raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Asthma claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Environmental Health, 2025 · PMID 40598547
Finding: In a cohort of 459,381 Army and Air Force veterans deployed 2005-2011, deployment to bases using open burn pits with unsegregated waste was associated with elevated risk of asthma (and hypertension), whereas deployment to bases that segregated waste or used incinerators was not.
Why it helps: Large VA cohort study supporting an association between burn pit/open-air waste burning exposure during Iraq/Afghanistan deployment and asthma, useful for a presumptive/exposure-based service connection.
American Journal of Men's Health, 2017 · PMID 26669772
Finding: Reports high rates of respiratory symptoms (14%) and new-onset asthma in previously healthy soldiers (6.6%) after deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, attributing the spectrum of disease to war hazards such as burn-pit smoke, IEDs, and sandstorms.
Why it helps: Supports an association between deployment exposures and new-onset asthma in previously healthy service members, relevant to direct service connection for post-deployment asthma.
Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, 2023 · PMID 36597757
Finding: Review finds particulate matter exposures during Southwest Asia/Afghanistan deployment exceeded U.S. air quality standards, and that among post-deployment veterans with respiratory symptoms asthma is the most commonly diagnosed illness; the PACT Act provides care for conditions presumed related to these exposures.
Why it helps: Authoritative VA/Harvard review supporting an association between deployment airborne-hazard exposures and asthma, and contextualizing it within PACT Act presumptive coverage.
Military Medicine, 2018 · nexus to PTSD / mental health conditions · PMID 29420832
Finding: In 182,338 post-deployment veterans, any mental health diagnosis was associated with increased odds of any respiratory diagnosis (aOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.37-1.46); asthma incidence was 1,450/100,000 person-years, and the mental-health-to-respiratory direction was stronger than the converse.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected mental health conditions (such as PTSD) and subsequent respiratory diagnoses including asthma in veterans, useful for a secondary nexus argument.
Psychiatry Research, 2019 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 30991276
Finding: In a longitudinal cohort of 5,518 PTSD patients vs 22,072 matched controls, PTSD was associated with more than double the risk of developing asthma (HR 2.27), rising to HR 4.01 in the youngest group, with results robust after excluding early follow-up and allergic disorders.
Why it helps: Supports an association between PTSD and later development of asthma, helpful for claiming asthma as secondary to service-connected PTSD.
Nature and Science of Sleep, 2024 · nexus to obstructive sleep apnea · PMID 39050365
Finding: A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis found genetically predicted OSA had a promoting effect on child-onset asthma (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.05-2.11) and moderate-to-severe asthma (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06), with evidence that moderate-to-severe asthma may in turn promote OSA.
Why it helps: Genetic-evidence study supporting a bidirectional association between obstructive sleep apnea and asthma, relevant to a secondary nexus where OSA is service-connected.
Polish Archives of Internal Medicine, 2022 · nexus to GERD, allergic rhinitis, obesity, depression, diabetes mellitus · PMID 35485651
Finding: Review describes asthma as commonly associated with pulmonary and extrapulmonary comorbidities including gastroesophageal reflux disease, allergic rhinitis, obesity, depression, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease, which can worsen asthma severity and may share inflammatory pathways.
Why it helps: Supports associations between asthma and several conditions often at issue in VA claims (GERD, rhinitis, obesity, depression), useful for framing asthma as secondary to, or aggravating/aggravated by, those conditions.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Asthma
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Asthma. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Related Guides
Asthma as a Secondary Condition
Asthma is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Asthmaclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Asthma should also be looking at:
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Draft your Asthma personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
Start Your Asthma VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Asthma evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Asthma.
Asthma Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
More free tools
Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.