Chronic Bronchitis — 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 Chronic Bronchitis
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.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Chronic Bronchitis — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Chronic Bronchitis, 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 Respiratory
General rating schedule for respiratoryconditions. 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
FEV-1 of 56 to 70 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent
FEV-1 of 40 to 55 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent
FEV-1 less than 40 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent, or cor pulmonale
Will adding Chronic Bronchitis 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 Chronic Bronchitis 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.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2024 · PMID 37968126
Finding: In 1,960 US veterans deployed to Afghanistan and Southwest Asia, burn pit smoke exposure was associated with chronic bronchitis (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.13-1.44) and dyspnea, and military occupational vapors/gas/dusts/fumes (VGDF) were associated with dyspnea and wheeze; 72.7% reported heavy burn pit smoke exposure and 8.2% had chronic bronchitis in the past 12 months.
Why it helps: Directly supports an association between deployment-related airborne hazards (burn pit smoke, VGDF) and chronic bronchitis in veterans, the central exposure theory for a direct service-connection claim.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2020 · PMID 32851693
Finding: Across 360,909 deployed Gulf War veterans versus 323,638 non-deployed Gulf War era veterans, deployed veterans had a significantly elevated prevalence of chronic bronchitis (prevalence ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.28), as well as emphysema, chronic airway obstruction, and COPD.
Why it helps: Supports an association between Gulf War deployment (and its airborne hazard exposures) and chronic bronchitis using a very large VA population, helpful for direct claims tied to deployment service.
New England Journal of Medicine, 2011 · PMID 21774710
Finding: Among 49 previously healthy soldiers with unexplained exertional dyspnea after deployment who underwent lung biopsy, 38 had diffuse constrictive bronchiolitis, possibly associated with inhalational exposures including a 2003 sulfur-mine fire, despite normal chest radiographs and largely normal pulmonary function testing.
Why it helps: Supports an association between deployment inhalational exposures and chronic small-airways disease in veterans, and documents that significant deployment-related airway pathology can exist even when routine chest X-ray and spirometry appear normal.
Occupational Medicine (London), 2010 · PMID 20035001
Finding: New York State employees who responded to the World Trade Center disaster were more likely than controls to report lower respiratory symptoms, including cough suggestive of chronic bronchitis, five years post-9/11, with greater effects among those with higher exposure scores and persistence of symptoms over the 3-year study period.
Why it helps: Supports an exposure-response association between airborne particulate/dust exposure during a hazardous duty response and chronic bronchitis-type symptoms, relevant to uniformed responders and dust/smoke exposure theories.
Thorax, 2021 · PMID 33509968
Finding: In the largest analysis to date (132,595 participants), long-term ambient exposure to nitrogen dioxide and black carbon was associated with both prevalent and incident chronic bronchitis (e.g., incident chronic bronchitis OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13 per IQR for both NO2 and black carbon), with associations seen even among never-smokers.
Why it helps: Provides large-cohort, dose-related evidence that combustion-related air pollutants cause chronic bronchitis independent of smoking, supporting the biological plausibility that military combustion and engine-exhaust exposures contribute to the condition.
- Obstructive respiratory disease in U.S. veterans: Prevalence, characteristics, and health burdenSecondary
Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2024 · nexus to PTSD, depression, anxiety · PMID 38857555
Finding: In a nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans, those with obstructive respiratory disease (asthma, chronic bronchitis, or COPD; 12.5% of the sample) had 47-91% greater odds of screening positive for current PTSD, major depression, and generalized anxiety, and 48% greater odds of current suicidal ideation, compared with veterans with other medical conditions.
Why it helps: Supports a strong comorbid association between chronic bronchitis (as obstructive respiratory disease) and service-connected mental health conditions, useful for secondary-nexus arguments linking the two in veterans.
Military Psychology, 2023 · nexus to PTSD, psychological distress · PMID 37903168
Finding: Using the VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (N=107,403), post-deployment psychological distress was a stronger predictor of 12-month shortness-of-breath severity than environmental exposure level or documented respiratory illnesses including asthma, COPD, and chronic bronchitis, after controlling for gender, age, race, and tobacco use.
Why it helps: Supports an association between psychological distress (e.g., PTSD) and respiratory symptom severity in post-deployment veterans, helpful for secondary-nexus reasoning that a service-connected mental health condition aggravates chronic respiratory symptoms.
Chest, 2018 · nexus to GERD · PMID 29080708
Finding: This CHEST systematic-review-based guideline identifies the most common causes of chronic cough as upper airway cough syndrome, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, supporting that GERD is a frequent driver of chronic productive cough that defines chronic bronchitis.
Why it helps: Supports the plausibility that a service-connected condition such as GERD can cause or aggravate the chronic productive cough that defines chronic bronchitis, useful for a secondary-nexus argument.
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 Chronic Bronchitis
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Chronic Bronchitis. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Chronic Bronchitis as a Secondary Condition
Chronic Bronchitis is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Chronic Bronchitisclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Chronic Bronchitis should also be looking at:
Quick calculator
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Draft your Chronic Bronchitis 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 Chronic Bronchitis VA Claim
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Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Chronic Bronchitis.
Chronic Bronchitis 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.