VA Combined Disability Rating: How Multiple Conditions Stack
The VA does not add ratings — it combines them with the bilateral/efficiency method. A worked example and the rule behind your combined percentage.
By The VivMetric Editorial Team · independent editorial research project
Why ratings are combined, not added
The VA uses a whole-person efficiency model: each rating reduces the remaining healthy percentage. Two 30% ratings combine to 51%, not 60%, because the second condition is rated against the 70% already disabled.
The bilateral factor
Conditions affecting both arms or both legs (or paired upper/lower extremities) get a 10% bump on that combination, because bilateral injuries disproportionately limit function.
Worked example
A 40% back, 30% knee, and 10% tinnitus: combine 40 + 30 = 58, round to 60; combine 60 + 10 = 64, round to 60–70. The exact combined number depends on the order and bilateral rules — use the calculator for your list.
Source
38 CFR Part 4 (Schedule of Ratings). Data retrieved 2026-08-19.
Estimate your combined rating
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