Crohn's Disease — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
Start a claim for Crohn's Disease— free & guided
Step-by-step builder: add this and any related conditions, see the research, and get a package ready for a free VSO. No account needed to start.
The DBQ for Crohn's Disease
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960G-3 (Intestinal Conditions (Other Than Surgical or Infectious)) — 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 Crohn's Disease — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Crohn's Disease, 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 Crohn's Disease
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.114, DC 7326 (Crohn’s disease or undifferentiated inflammatory bowel disease). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Minimal to mild IBD managed with oral or topical agents (other than immunosuppressants/biologics), with recurrent abdominal pain, three or fewer daily episodes of diarrhea, and no signs of systemic toxicity.
Mild to moderate IBD managed with oral and topical agents (other than immunosuppressants/biologics), with recurrent abdominal pain, three or fewer daily episodes of diarrhea, and minimal signs of toxicity (fever, tachycardia, or anemia).
Moderate IBD managed on an outpatient basis with immunosuppressants or other biologic agents, with recurrent abdominal pain, four to five daily episodes of diarrhea, and intermittent signs of toxicity such as fever, tachycardia, or anemia.
Severe IBD unresponsive to treatment, requiring hospitalization at least once per year, resulting in inability to work or recurrent abdominal pain with at least two of: six or more daily episodes of diarrhea, six or more daily episodes of rectal bleeding, recurrent rectal incontinence, or recurrent abdominal distension.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Crohn's Disease 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 Crohn's Disease 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.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2020 · nexus to PTSD, depression, anxiety · PMID 31728520
Finding: Among 60,086 US veterans with IBD (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) in the Veterans Health Administration, the combined prevalence of anxiety, depression, and/or PTSD rose from 10.8 per 100 in 2001 to 38 per 100 in 2015, and 32.6% developed a new psychiatric diagnosis during follow-up.
Why it helps: A large veteran-specific cohort showing that anxiety, depression, and PTSD are highly common in veterans living with Crohn's disease, supporting an association between Crohn's and co-occurring mental health conditions in a claim for secondary service connection.
International Journal of Surgery, 2024 · nexus to depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance misuse · PMID 38896866
Finding: In a UK Biobank prospective cohort of 491,131 participants, IBD was associated with higher risk of incident psychiatric disorders overall (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13-1.33), depression (HR 1.36), anxiety (HR 1.15), and PTSD (HR 1.87); the elevated risk of substance misuse was specific to Crohn's disease (HR 1.47).
Why it helps: Prospective evidence that having IBD (and Crohn's specifically) precedes and raises the risk of later developing depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance misuse, supporting an association where these mental health conditions arise secondary to Crohn's disease.
Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 2021 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 33433790
Finding: This systematic review found a pooled PTSD prevalence of 36% across GI cohorts (about 18% in non-veteran GI cohorts versus 11% in non-GI chronic illness cohorts), and in a Crohn's disease sample, disease exacerbation was four times more likely in patients meeting criteria for probable PTSD.
Why it helps: Supports a bidirectional association between PTSD and Crohn's disease, where PTSD is more common in GI patients and is linked to a fourfold increase in Crohn's flares, relevant to claims connecting service-related PTSD with worsening of Crohn's disease.
EBioMedicine, 2022 · PMID 35816897
Finding: This systematic review and meta-analysis of Mendelian randomization studies found robust genetic evidence that liability to smoking causally increases the risk of several digestive diseases, including Crohn's disease, among a wide range of conditions.
Why it helps: Supports a causal association between cigarette smoking and Crohn's disease, relevant context for veterans who began or sustained tobacco use during service when evaluating the origins of Crohn's disease.
World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2023 · nexus to ankylosing spondylitis, spondyloarthritis, enteropathic arthritis · PMID 36688014
Finding: This review describes the tightly linked joint and gut inflammation in spondyloarthropathy and IBD, noting shared genetic and immunopathogenic mechanisms, with IBD being a common extra-articular manifestation of spondyloarthritis and joint disease being the most common extraintestinal manifestation in IBD patients.
Why it helps: Supports an association between Crohn's disease and inflammatory arthritis/spondyloarthropathy, relevant to claims for arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis as conditions commonly linked to (and claimed alongside) Crohn's disease.
Gastroenterology, 1991 · PMID 2044901
Finding: Using national VA inpatient records from 1986-1989, this study found inflammatory bowel disease among veterans affected predominantly younger, white, and (relatively) female patients, with these trends more pronounced for Crohn's disease than ulcerative colitis and a higher discharge frequency in northern versus southern U.S. regions.
Why it helps: A foundational national veteran cohort characterizing the demographic and geographic pattern of Crohn's disease in the U.S. veteran population, providing baseline epidemiologic context for service-connected IBD claims.
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 Crohn's Disease
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Crohn's Disease. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
Share this rating breakdown
A free, source-cited infographic of how the VA rates Crohn's Disease. Save it and post it, or send it to someone who needs it. No fee, no catch.
Square format, ready for an Instagram or Facebook post.
Open / save the image →Sharing the page link also shows a wide preview card automatically.
Filing a Crohn's Diseaseclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Crohn's Disease should also be looking at:
Quick calculator
Estimate your combined rating →
The VA doesn't add ratings — they use a specific formula. See your combined rating in 30 seconds.
Health care
Estimate your VA Priority Group →
Priority Group 1-8 determines what care you get and what it costs. Service-connected = lower copays, full access.
Where you live
Compare 50 state veteran benefits →
State property tax exemptions for SC vets vary 10x. Some states fully exempt 100%-rated vets, others give nothing.
Home buying
VA home loan + funding fee waiver →
ANY service-connected rating waives the funding fee. On a $400K loan that's ~$8,600 saved.
Draft your Crohn's Disease 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 Crohn's Disease VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Crohn's Disease 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 Crohn's Disease.
Crohn's Disease 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.