Retinal Conditions — 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 Retinal Conditions
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 Retinal Conditions — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Retinal Conditions, 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 Retinal Conditions
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.79, DC 6006-6011 (retinopathy, retinal detachment, retinal scars, etc.) via the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye. Rated on the higher of incapacitating episodes or visual impairment.. 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 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 Retinal Conditions 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 Retinal Conditions 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.
Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers & Imaging Retina, 2020 · PMID 33104222
Finding: In a retrospective review of 890 eyes from 651 U.S. service members wounded in OEF/OIF (Walter Reed Ocular Trauma Database), 8.5% of eyes developed proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and retinal detachment was found in 68.4% of PVR eyes; PVR was a significant risk factor for poor vision, with 80.2% of affected eyes ending at final visual acuity worse than 20/200.
Why it helps: Directly documents combat-related retinal injury (retinal detachment and PVR) in U.S. service members, supporting an association between blast/combat ocular trauma and disabling retinal disease.
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2023 · PMID 37991292
Finding: Multicentre review of 131 combat ocular injuries in security personnel found explosive blasts were the leading cause (45.8%), open-globe injuries made up 50.4% of cases, and optic nerve head avulsion occurred in 1.52% of eyes.
Why it helps: Supports an association between combat blast exposure and posterior-segment ocular damage (including open-globe and optic nerve injury), reinforcing the service-connected nature of trauma-related retinal/optic conditions.
Ophthalmology, 2021 · nexus to type 2 diabetes · PMID 33940045
Finding: Meta-analysis of 59 population-based studies found that among people with diabetes, the global prevalence was 22.27% (95% CI 19.73-25.03) for any diabetic retinopathy and 6.17% for vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy, with an estimated 103 million adults affected in 2020.
Why it helps: Establishes diabetic retinopathy as a common, well-documented complication of diabetes, supporting a secondary claim where retinopathy follows a service-connected diabetes diagnosis.
Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2024 · nexus to Agent Orange exposure, type 2 diabetes · PMID 39072272
Finding: Epigenome-wide and Mendelian randomization analyses in veterans found Agent Orange-exposed individuals with type 2 diabetes carried distinct differentially methylated CpG sites that were causally associated with type 2 diabetes, with no significant reverse causal effect.
Why it helps: Supports the exposure chain in which Agent Orange (a presumptive herbicide exposure) is linked to type 2 diabetes, the condition that in turn drives diabetic retinopathy.
Current Diabetes Reports, 2021 · nexus to obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes · PMID 34902078
Finding: This review summarizes cross-sectional data linking obstructive sleep apnea with the prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy and reports that patients treated with CPAP were significantly less likely to develop pre/proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Why it helps: Supports an association between obstructive sleep apnea and worsening diabetic retinopathy, relevant for a retinal condition claimed secondary to service-connected sleep apnea (often alongside diabetes).
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 2024 · nexus to obstructive sleep apnea · PMID 37227479
Finding: Meta-analysis of 49 studies found obstructive sleep apnea was significantly associated with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (OR 3.98, 95% CI 2.38-6.66), retinal vein occlusion (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.83-4.00), and central serous chorioretinopathy (OR 2.28), among other ocular disorders.
Why it helps: Supports an association between obstructive sleep apnea and several retinal/optic conditions (retinal vein occlusion, central serous chorioretinopathy, NAION), useful for claims secondary to service-connected sleep apnea.
Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, 2015 · nexus to PTSD, psychological stress, corticosteroid use · PMID 26026923
Finding: This review identifies corticosteroid use and psychological stress as established risk factors for central serous chorioretinopathy and details a mineralocorticoid/glucocorticoid pathway by which stress and steroid exposure can produce the disease phenotype.
Why it helps: Supports an association between psychological stress (e.g., PTSD) and corticosteroid medications and central serous chorioretinopathy, relevant for retinal claims secondary to service-connected mental health conditions or steroid treatment.
BMJ Open, 2022 · nexus to PTSD, type 2 diabetes · PMID 35115360
Finding: In a cohort of 78,000 veterans versus 253,000 non-veterans, 7.2% of veterans developed type 2 diabetes (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.11); among those with PTSD, 12.1% of veterans had type 2 diabetes versus 9.4% of non-veterans (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.04-1.59).
Why it helps: Supports a PTSD-to-diabetes pathway in veterans, strengthening the chain by which a service-connected mental health condition contributes to diabetes and, downstream, diabetic retinopathy.
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 Retinal Conditions
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Retinal Conditions. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Retinal Conditions as a Secondary Condition
Retinal Conditions is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Retinal Conditionsclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Retinal Conditions should also be looking at:
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Draft your Retinal Conditions 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 Retinal Conditions VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Retinal Conditions 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 Retinal Conditions.
Retinal Conditions 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.