Cataracts — 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 Cataracts
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960N-2 (Eye Conditions) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Cataracts — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Cataracts, 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 Cataracts
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.79, DC 6027 (cataract) via the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye. Preoperative or postoperative-with-replacement-lens (pseudophakia) is rated on the higher of incapacitating episodes or visual impairment; if no replacement lens, rate as aphakia (DC 6029).. Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 1 but less than 3 treatment visits for the eye condition in the past 12 months. May instead be rated on visual impairment (corrected visual acuity) if higher.
Documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 3 but less than 5 treatment visits in the past 12 months. May instead be rated on visual impairment if higher.
Documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 5 but less than 7 treatment visits in the past 12 months. May instead be rated on visual impairment if higher.
Documented incapacitating episodes requiring 7 or more treatment visits in the past 12 months. May instead be rated on visual impairment if higher.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Cataracts 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 Cataracts 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.
- Cataracts after Ophthalmic and Nonophthalmic Trauma Exposure in Service Members, U.S. Armed ForcesDirect
Military Medicine, 2024 · PMID 37930775
Finding: In a Military Health System cohort (2017-2021), the relative risk of traumatic cataract formation was 5.71 (95% CI 5.05-6.42) after ocular trauma, 2.32 (95% CI 2.03-2.63) after traumatic brain injury, and 8.95 (95% CI 6.23-12.38) after polytrauma. 62% of ocular trauma occurred in combat, and 70% of traumatic cataracts followed open-globe injuries.
Why it helps: Directly supports an association between service-related eye trauma, blast/TBI, and polytrauma and the development of cataracts in U.S. service members, useful for establishing a service-connection nexus for cataracts arising after in-service injury.
International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2017 · PMID 27899034
Finding: Reviews evidence behind the International Commission on Radiological Protection's 2011 lowering of the lens cataract threshold to 0.5 Gy for low-LET radiation, noting epidemiological data that the threshold for fractionated/protracted exposure is no higher than for acute exposure, supporting cataract risk at relatively low radiation doses.
Why it helps: Supports an association between ionizing radiation exposure (relevant to atomic/radiation-exposed veterans and nuclear/occupational duties) and cataract formation, including at lower cumulative doses than older thresholds assumed.
BioMed Research International, 2021 · PMID 34805407
Finding: A fixed-effects meta-analysis of 31 epidemiological studies found a significantly increased risk of age-related cataract with higher sunlight (UV) exposure, with a pooled OR of 1.15 (95% CI 1.09-1.21) overall and the association strongest for the cortical cataract subtype.
Why it helps: Supports an association between chronic occupational sun/ultraviolet exposure (common in outdoor and deployed military duty) and age-related, especially cortical, cataract.
Eye (London), 2018 · nexus to diabetes mellitus · PMID 29386666
Finding: In a UK cohort of 56,510 diabetes patients, cataract incidence was 20.4 per 1000 person-years versus 10.8 in the matched general population (roughly a two-fold higher detection rate). Risk rose with diabetes duration, with an adjusted OR of 5.14 (95% CI 4.19-6.30) for diabetes of 10+ years versus under 2 years.
Why it helps: Supports a secondary-service-connection theory that cataracts can develop as a complication of service-connected diabetes mellitus, with risk increasing the longer the diabetes is present.
Clinical Therapeutics, 2017 · nexus to medications (corticosteroids); conditions treated with long-term steroids · PMID 29055500
Finding: A systematic review of 32 studies identified cataract as a recognized adverse event of long-term systemic corticosteroid exposure, with a reported prevalence of 1%-3% among chronic corticosteroid users, alongside hypertension, fractures, and metabolic effects.
Why it helps: Supports a secondary-service-connection theory that cataracts can result from long-term corticosteroid medication used to treat service-connected conditions (e.g., asthma, autoimmune, musculoskeletal, or respiratory disease).
Archivos de la Sociedad Espanola de Oftalmologia (English Edition), 2019 · nexus to tobacco use disorder · PMID 30528895
Finding: Pooling 13 cohort, 12 case-control, and 18 cross-sectional studies, current smokers had an increased risk of cataract (cohort OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.24-1.60), with the strongest effect for nuclear cataract (cohort OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.47-1.98).
Why it helps: Supports an association between smoking and cataract; relevant where tobacco use is tied to a service-connected condition (e.g., nicotine dependence or PTSD-related smoking), particularly for nuclear-type cataract.
- Cataracts: A ReviewDirect
JAMA, 2025 · PMID 40227658
Finding: A 2025 JAMA clinical review identifies the major modifiable and medical risk factors for cataract, including certain medications (corticosteroids), ocular trauma, significant UV exposure or radiation therapy, and uncontrolled diabetes, in addition to age and genetic predisposition.
Why it helps: Authoritative current review establishing that trauma, UV/radiation exposure, corticosteroid medication, and diabetes are accepted causes of cataract, providing medical-literature support for both direct service-exposure and secondary-nexus claim theories.
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 Cataracts
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Cataracts. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Cataracts as a Secondary Condition
Cataracts is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Cataractsclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Cataracts should also be looking at:
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Draft your Cataracts 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 Cataracts VA Claim
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Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Cataracts.
Cataracts 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.