Diabetes Type 2 — 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 Diabetes Type 2
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960E-1 (Diabetes Mellitus) — 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
- How the diabetes is managed — restricted diet only, oral agents, or insulin
- Whether regulation of activities is required (avoidance of strenuous activity) — the key 40%+ driver under DC 7913
- Number of daily insulin injections; frequency of ketoacidosis/hypoglycemic episodes needing hospitalization
- Frequency of diabetic-care provider visits; progressive loss of weight and strength
- Complications documented and rated separately (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiac, ED)
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Diabetes Type 2 — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Diabetes Type 2, 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 Diabetes Type 2
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.119, DC 7913 (diabetes mellitus). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Manageable by restricted diet only.
Requiring one or more daily injection of insulin and restricted diet; or oral hypoglycemic agent and restricted diet.
Requiring one or more daily injection of insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities.
Requiring one or more daily injection of insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities with episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring one or two hospitalizations per year or twice a month visits to a diabetic care provider, plus complications that would not be compensable if separately evaluated.
Requiring more than one daily injection of insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities with episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring at least three hospitalizations per year or weekly visits to a diabetic care provider, plus either progressive loss of weight and strength or complications that would be compensable if separately evaluated.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Diabetes Type 2 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 Diabetes Type 2 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.
Epidemiology, 1997 · PMID 9115019
Finding: In Air Force veterans of Operation Ranch Hand (the unit that sprayed Agent Orange in Vietnam), higher serum dioxin (TCDD) was associated with increased diabetes prevalence (relative risk 1.5; 95% CL 1.2-2.0), more glucose abnormalities (RR 1.4), greater use of oral diabetes medication (RR 2.3), and earlier diabetes onset compared with non-spraying veterans.
Why it helps: Supports a dose-related association between Agent Orange/dioxin exposure during Vietnam service and type 2 diabetes in actual veterans, the core scientific basis VA relies on for the Agent Orange presumption.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019 · PMID 30717446
Finding: This review summarizes epidemiologic and experimental evidence that persistent organic pollutants, including dioxins (PCDDs) and dioxin-like compounds found in herbicides, bioaccumulate in fatty tissue and are associated with the development of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.
Why it helps: Provides a biological-plausibility and mechanism rationale linking dioxin-class exposures (the contaminant in Agent Orange) to type 2 diabetes, complementing the veteran cohort evidence for an exposure-based claim.
- Type 2 Diabetes Among People With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSecondary
Psychosomatic Medicine, 2016 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 26867081
Finding: In a meta-analysis of 23,396 people with PTSD, type 2 diabetes prevalence was 10.0% overall and notably higher in war veterans (16.3%), and PTSD was associated with a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes versus controls (relative risk 1.49; 95% CI 1.17-1.89).
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected PTSD and the later development of type 2 diabetes, useful evidence for a secondary-service-connection theory linking diabetes to PTSD.
Chest, 2017 · nexus to obstructive sleep apnea · PMID 28527878
Finding: This review describes how intermittent hypoxemia and sleep fragmentation in OSA impair glucose metabolism and links OSA to the development of incident type 2 diabetes, noting the relationship may be bidirectional.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and incident type 2 diabetes, helpful for a secondary-service-connection claim where OSA is already rated.
American Family Physician, 2010 · nexus to medications for service-connected mental health conditions (antipsychotics) · PMID 20187598
Finding: This clinical review reports that antipsychotic medications, especially second-generation agents such as clozapine and olanzapine, tend to cause metabolic syndrome problems including obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Why it helps: Supports an association between antipsychotic medications prescribed for service-connected psychiatric conditions and the development of type 2 diabetes, useful for a medication-induced secondary claim.
Muscle & Nerve, 2021 · nexus to type 2 diabetes (peripheral neuropathy as a complication of diabetes) · PMID 33098165
Finding: This review documents that diabetic peripheral neuropathy is well established and that metabolic syndrome and its components further increase neuropathy risk in patients with established type 1 and type 2 diabetes, preferentially affecting small unmyelinated sensory fibers early.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected type 2 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, useful when claiming neuropathy as secondary to an already service-connected diabetes diagnosis.
Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2024 · nexus to type 2 diabetes (diabetic kidney disease as a complication) · PMID 39022345
Finding: Across 32 studies, the incidence of diabetic kidney disease among patients with type 2 diabetes ranged from 6.0% to 62.3%, and pooled prediction models discriminated who would develop it with a combined AUC of 0.810 (95% CI 0.780-0.840).
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected type 2 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease/nephropathy, relevant for claiming kidney disease as secondary to established diabetes.
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 Diabetes Type 2
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Diabetes Type 2. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Erectile Dysfunction
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Hypertension
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Kidney Disease
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Vision Problems
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Heart Disease
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Depression
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
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Related Guides
Diabetes Type 2 as a Secondary Condition
Diabetes Type 2 is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Diabetes Type 2claim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Diabetes Type 2 should also be looking at:
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Draft your Diabetes Type 2 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 Diabetes Type 2 VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Diabetes Type 2 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 Diabetes Type 2.
Diabetes Type 2 Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
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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.