Veterans Can Get a Gastritis VA Rating

If you’ve been diagnosed with gastritis you think was caused or worsened by military service, you’ll want to understand the gastritis VA rating. This post explains the condition and how the VA handles related disability benefits.

An injury while you were in the service caused you to need over-the-counter pain medications multiple times a day for months. You then started having ongoing stomach pain, nausea, and bloating. Now, you’ve been diagnosed with gastritis. These things may be connected. Aspirins and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly linked with the development of gastritis. If this is your case, or the stomach issue is connected to another service-related condition, you’ll want to understand the VA disability rating for gastritis.

What is gastritis?

Gastritis is when your stomach lining becomes inflamed. It causes varying symptoms, which may include:

• Stomach pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite or feeling like your stomach is bloated and full
• Abdominal bleeding
• Blood in your vomit or stool

Drinking too much alcohol, smoking, taking drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin frequently for long periods of time, and extreme stress can cause it. Some medical conditions can also cause gastritis, including infection, traumatic injury, burns, or radiation exposure, like that related to chemotherapy. It’s also linked to certain diseases, like autoimmune disorders and some types of reflux and anemia.

Gastritis VA rating

In the Schedule of Ratings, the diagnostic code for gastritis was DC 7307, but the VA changed the rating, and it is currently rated under DC 7304 for peptic ulcer disease. The rating is based on the severity of the condition and its symptoms. It is as follows:

Description	VA Rating	Monthly payment (vet only)
Post-operative for perforation or hemorrhage, for three months	100%	$3,938.58
Continuous abdominal pain with intermittent vomiting, recurrent hematemesis (vomiting blood) or melena (tarry stools); and manifestations of anemia which require hospitalization at least once in the past 12 months	60%	$1,434.02
Episodes of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting, that: last for at least three consecutive days in duration; occur four or more times in the past 12 months; and are managed by daily prescribed medication	40%	$795.84
Episodes of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting, that: last for at least three consecutive days in duration; occur three times or less in the past 12 months; and are managed by daily prescribed medication	20%	$356.66
History of peptic ulcer disease documented by endoscopy or diagnostic imaging studies	0%	None

If gastritis requires surgery, the veteran will receive a 100% rating for three months after the procedure while they recover. After that, they will undergo a medical exam for reevaluation, and the rating will be adjusted based on residuals.

Gastritis and related conditions

Sometimes, gastritis can lead to other medical conditions. If your gastritis is service-connected and you develop another condition because of it, you may be able to receive a secondary service connection. A secondary service connection allows you to receive a VA disability rating for any health condition medically related to a service-connected condition.

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Gastritis can result in stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding, or other gastrointestinal concerns that qualify for VA disability ratings. In rare cases, gastritis can even cause stomach tumors and cancer. 

On the other hand, if you’ve received a service connection for a condition that led to gastritis, you may qualify for a gastritis VA rating on a secondary basis. Some medical conditions that can cause gastritis include:

• Autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Infections
• Traumatic injury or burns

TDIU for gastritis

A veteran can be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) benefits if they can’t maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected conditions. 

The chronic abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting that accompany gastritis can interfere with your ability to show up to work consistently. In severe cases, veterans with service-connected gastritis may require hospitalization, making it even more difficult to maintain a job. 

Is VA TDIU Right for You?

TDIU pays at the same level as a 100% disability rating, even when the veteran’s combined rating is below 100%. 

Veterans will typically be eligible for TDIU if they have:

• One service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling OR 
• Two or more service-connected disabilities with at least one rated at 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more.

How Woods & Woods can help

Woods & Woods has been fighting for people with injuries and disabilities since 1985. Our team of accredited VA disability lawyers, case managers, legal analysts, and intake specialists know the ins and outs of the VA so you don’t have to do all the hard work. Call us today for your free and confidential case evaluation.

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