If you served in the military and now experience shortness of breath, a nagging cough, chest tightness, or other respiratory symptoms, you could have a service-connected lung disease like pulmonary fibrosis. Veterans who developed respiratory conditions after exposure to environmental factors like asbestos and burn pits during their service may qualify for VA benefits. This post explains the VA disability rating for pulmonary fibrosis and what veterans can do if they can’t work because of their condition. Many other vets receive VA benefits for pulmonary fibrosis. Call today and see if you can too.
Don’t fight the VA alone
It seems like you can’t do the simplest tasks without getting winded. Even walking to the mailbox leaves you gasping for breath. Now you’ve been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, and you can’t help but wonder if it’s because of all that smoke and who knows what else you breathed in while you were in the military. That’s why you should know about the VA disability rating for pulmonary fibrosis and better understand if you might qualify.
In this article about VA disability for pulmonary fibrosis:
Pulmonary fibrosis in veterans
Pulmonary fibrosis occurs when lung tissue becomes scarred, thick, and stiff, making it difficult to catch your breath. As the condition worsens, you become progressively more breathless, which can make accomplishing daily tasks and work extremely challenging.
Causes of pulmonary fibrosis include environmental pollutants, including asbestos, certain medicines, some connective tissue diseases, and interstitial lung disease — a large group of lung diseases that inflame and scar the lungs. In many cases, the cause can’t be determined. This is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Veterans exposed to burn pits or other toxins during their military service may be more prone to developing pulmonary fibrosis as a result. This is why pulmonary fibrosis is a presumptive condition for qualifying veterans, which we will explain later.
The following symptoms are associated with pulmonary fibrosis:
- Shortness of breath
- Excess mucus
- Wheezing
- Consistent dry, hacking cough
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Aching muscles and joints
- Clubbing (the widening and rounding of the tips of the fingers or toes)
Over time, the frequency and severity of symptoms can trigger more significant respiratory diseases or cause other health-related problems.
VA rating for pulmonary fibrosis
The VA rates pulmonary fibrosis under the General Ratings Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease, based on how much oxygen you can get into your lungs and how difficult breathing is. It rates at 100%, 60%, 30%, or 10%.
We explain more about what these acronyms like “FVC” and “DLCO (SB)” mean below.
C&P exam for pulmonary fibrosis
The compensation and pension exam (C&P exam) for pulmonary fibrosis will typically include questions about your military service and exposure to burn pits or other toxins. It will also typically consist of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to measure how severe your respiratory condition is.
PFTs measure how well air moves in and out of your lungs, how much air you can hold, and how forcefully you can empty air from your lungs, among other things.
Measures resulting from these tests that may be used by the VA to determine your rating include:
- Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) – The percentage of air you exhale following maximum inhalation.
- Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1) – The liter volume of air you exhale in the first second during forced exhalation.
- Diffusion Capacity for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO(SB)) – The percentage of carbon monoxide you exhale following maximum inhalation.
These tests are formed using a mouthpiece that measures your exhalations. A doctor also may ask you to do light exercises to monitor your breathing ability.
Pulmonary fibrosis PACT Act presumptive
The PACT Act, which was signed into law in 2022, includes 23 additional presumptive conditions for burn pits, including 12 cancers. Pulmonary fibrosis is included in those presumptive conditions.
That means veterans exposed to burn pits who develop pulmonary fibrosis don’t have to prove a connection, or “medical nexus,” between their condition and their military service. They only have to prove they were exposed to burn pits during service to be granted service connection. Vets must also show the condition is disabling enough to meet the criteria for compensation.
Veterans eligible for a pulmonary fibrosis PACT Act presumptive include:
| Veterans who served after Aug. 2, 1990 in any of these locations: | Veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001 in any of these locations: |
|---|---|
| Bahrain | Afghanistan |
| Iraq | Djibouti |
| Kuwait | Egypt |
| Oman | Jordan |
| Qatar | Lebanon |
| Saudi Arabia | Syria |
| Somalia | Uzbekistan |
| The United Arab Emirates (UAE) | Yemen |
| The airspace above any of these locations | The airspace above any of these locations |
Pulmonary fibrosis is not included in presumptive conditions for Agent Orange exposure because medical research hasn’t proven a connection between the two. However, you may still be able to make a case between Agent Orange exposure and the condition because the substance is known to be connected to a higher incident rate of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Pulmonary fibrosis and asbestos exposure
Asbestos exposure can cause asbestosis, a type of pulmonary fibrosis caused by breathing in the toxic material.
Asbestos was used in many military buildings, ships, and other places until it was phased out in the 1970s, making it impossible to know how many veterans were exposed to the toxic material during their military service.
However, some places have been clearly tied to asbestos exposure. Veterans who served between the 1940s and 1960s are especially at risk for developing asbestos-related illnesses. Additionally, veterans who served on ships or shipyards may be at a higher risk of asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases.
Symptoms of these diseases usually don’t show up until 10 to 40 years after a prolonged exposure. If you were exposed to asbestos during your military service and have developed this form of pulmonary fibrosis, you may be able to use that exposure to connect the condition to your service.
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TDIU for pulmonary fibrosis
In some cases, a veteran can be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for pulmonary fibrosis. Veterans are eligible for this benefit if they can’t keep substantially gainful employment due to their condition.
Pulmonary fibrosis can leave you unable to breathe or move easily, which may keep you from performing simple work-related tasks like walking or standing for long periods. It may even create significant challenges in getting ready for work each day or having conversations with others, as basic tasks can leave a person with several pulmonary fibrosis winded.
When veterans are granted TDIU, they are compensated at the 100% disability rating level even though their condition is rated below 100%.
Veterans who can’t hold down a steady job that supports them financially because of their service-connected disabilities are typically considered eligible for TDIU if they have:
- At least 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
Some veterans who don’t meet schedular TDIU criteria can still be eligible for TDIU as well.
How our VA-accredited attorneys can help
If you have a service-connected condition that affects your ability to live and work, you deserve VA disability compensation. We have helped thousands of veterans nationwide receive their full benefits. Contact Woods & Woods today for a free consultation to see if we can take your case. You only pay us if we win.
Many other vets receive VA benefits for pulmonary fibrosis. Call today and see if you can too.
Don’t fight the VA alone
Frequently asked questions
Yes, they do. Pulmonary fibrosis is considered a presumptive condition if you were exposed to burn pits during your military service. Otherwise, it may be service connected if you can prove exposure to other toxins during your service.
No, pulmonary fibrosis is not included in presumptive conditions for Agent Orange exposure because medical research hasn’t proven a connection between the two. However, you may still be able to make a case between Agent Orange exposure and the condition because the substance is known to be connected to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is when the specific cause of pulmonary fibrosis can’t be determined.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
