GERD VA Rating 2025: Veteran Disability Benefits Guide

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) isn’t just heartburn—it’s a chronic condition that can upend your daily life. For thousands of veterans, GERD means more than discomfort. It affects your ability to sleep, eat, work, and live without pain.

Suppose you’re a veteran coping with ongoing acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or other digestive symptoms. In that case, understanding your GERD VA rating is the first step toward receiving the disability compensation you’ve earned through service.

The VA made important changes to how GERD is rated, effective May 19, 2024. These updates shift the focus to medical imaging and structural damage, changing how veterans must prove their claims. This updated guide will help you navigate the new process, know your rating options, and take action if you’re denied.

What Is GERD and Why Is It So Common Among Veterans?

GERD is a chronic disorder where stomach acid frequently flows back into the esophagus. While occasional heartburn is common, GERD is persistent and often painful—especially when left untreated.

How GERD Shows Up in Daily Life

Common symptoms veterans report include:

• Frequent heartburn or a burning sensation in the chest
• Food or acid regurgitation into the throat or mouth
• Dysphagia (trouble swallowing or feeling like food gets stuck)
• Chest pain, often mistaken for cardiac issues
• Nausea or vomiting episodes
• Chronic coughing or a raspy voice, especially at night
• Interrupted sleep due to nighttime reflux

These symptoms don’t just affect comfort—they impact your quality of life, work capacity, and overall health.

Why Veterans Are at Higher Risk

Service-related factors make veterans more vulnerable to GERD:

• High-stress environments: Combat and military life increase acid production and disrupt digestive health.
• Irregular meals & rations: MREs and inconsistent food access can harm gut function.
• Medication side effects: NSAIDs, antidepressants, and other meds prescribed for service-connected conditions can worsen reflux.
• Exposure to toxins: Burn pits and environmental hazards may contribute to gastrointestinal issues.

The 2024 Update: How the GERD VA Rating Changed

Before May 2024, GERD was rated under Diagnostic Code 7346 (Hiatal Hernia), which considered general symptom severity. Now, the VA uses Diagnostic Code 7206, tied to DC 7203 (Stricture of the Esophagus).

This means veterans are now rated based on objective evidence—specifically the presence and severity of esophageal strictures, which are narrowing in the esophagus that make swallowing difficult.

What This Means for Your Claim

Under the new system, the VA gives more weight to imaging tests (like barium swallow or endoscopy) and less to subjective reports of symptoms alone. This makes thorough medical documentation more important than ever when seeking a GERD VA rating.

Current GERD VA Rating Levels in 2025

As of May 2024, the VA awards GERD ratings based on the severity of structural damage and medical interventions needed:

0% Rating

• GERD is diagnosed, but the symptoms are mild and don’t require daily medication.
• No monthly compensation, but a service connection is established for future benefits.

10% Rating

• Daily medication is needed to manage swallowing difficulties due to esophageal stricture.
• You may feel fine most days, but your condition still requires ongoing treatment.

30% Rating

• You need dilation procedures (to open the esophagus) no more than twice a year for recurrent strictures.
• This rating reflects moderate swallowing problems that interfere with your daily routine.

50% Rating

• You need dilation three or more times per year, steroid dilation, or a stent to keep your esophagus open.
• This shows frequent or severe intervention is required to maintain function.

80% Rating

• You experience serious complications like:
  • Aspiration (inhaling food into the lungs)
  • Substantial weight loss or malnutrition
  • Feeding tube (PEG) placement or surgery
• This is the highest scheduler GERD VA rating, reserved for severe, life-limiting cases.

How to Prove GERD Is Service-Connected

To qualify for any GERD VA ratings, you must first show the VA that your condition is linked to your military service.

Option 1: Direct Service Connection

You’ll need:

1. Current GERD Diagnosis: From a licensed healthcare provider.
2. Proof of In-Service Cause or Event: This could be medical visits, deployment records, or statements about meals, stress, or exposure.
3. Medical Nexus Letter: A doctor must state it’s “at least as likely as not” your GERD is linked to service.

Option 2: Secondary Service Connection

You can also link GERD to another service-connected condition, such as:

• PTSD or anxiety: Stress worsens acid reflux and some psych meds increase acid production.
• Chronic pain conditions: NSAIDs for pain are known to irritate the stomach.
• Sleep apnea: There’s a two-way relationship between sleep apnea and GERD.

How to Strengthen Your GERD VA Rating Claim

Getting the highest possible GERD VA rating means being thorough and organized with your documentation.

1. Gather All Medical Records

Include:

• Test results (e.g., endoscopy, barium swallow)
• Procedure reports (e.g., dilation, stent)
• Treatment logs and medications
• Any hospital or emergency room visits for GERD-related issues

2. Keep a Symptom Journal

Track:

• Daily symptoms and severity
• Diet changes or restrictions
• Work or sleep disruption
• Frequency of regurgitation, coughing, or pain

3. Be Prepared for Your C&P Exam

Before your VA exam:

• Review the VA DBQ for esophageal conditions
• Bring notes on how GERD affects your day-to-day life
• Talk about your worst days, not just average days
• Be honest and detailed—don’t downplay your condition

What If You’re Denied or Rated Too Low?

You can appeal through three paths:

1. Higher-Level Review: A more experienced VA reviewer re-checks your claim (no new evidence allowed).
2. Supplemental Claim: You add new medical evidence or a nexus letter.
3. Board Appeal: A Veterans Law Judge hears your case and can consider new information.

Key Protections

• Grandfathered Ratings: If you had a GERD VA disability rating before May 19, 2024, it remains protected.
• Pending Claims: If your claim was already in progress by that date, the VA must apply whichever criteria benefit you most—old or new.

TDIU and GERD: What If You Can’t Work?

If GERD prevents you from keeping a steady job, you may qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

Even if your GERD rating doesn’t reach 100%, TDIU allows you to receive full disability compensation if your symptoms prevent gainful employment. GERD can limit your ability to stand, sit, focus, or avoid urgent bathroom needs—especially if combined with other conditions like PTSD or chronic pain.

Should You Get Professional Help?

Filing a VA claim, especially under the new criteria, can be complicated. A VA-accredited attorney or agent can help you:

• Strategize your claim
• Gather medical evidence
• Write effective nexus letters
• Represent you during appeals

Final Thoughts

The updated GERD VA rating system focuses more on medical proof and less on symptoms alone. That means veterans need to be proactive—get the right tests, document their daily struggles, and don’t try to go it alone.

Even a 0% rating has value—it confirms your service connection and protects your future. Don’t wait to file or appeal. The earlier you act, the sooner you can get the care and compensation you need.

You stood up for your country. Now it’s time to stand up for yourself.

At Allveteran.com, we seek to help veterans connect with resources that may make all the difference. To find out your disability rating, take our free medical evidence screening today!