Frequent UTIs can be more than just a nuisance. Recurrent infections can continue to impact your quality of life long after your military service has ended. With UTIs linked to the conditions of military service or other service-connected conditions, you may be eligible for VA disability benefits. Read on to learn more about UTIs among veterans and how to receive a UTI VA disability rating.
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Doctors in clinics across the U.S. diagnose urinary tract infections (UTIs) more frequently than any other type of infection. Add in the unique and challenging conditions, plus the stress of active duty, and it’s easy to see how UTIs are a common issue in the military. One study showed that 6.5% of female and 0.3% of male service members reported at least one UTI during deployment in areas like Southwest Asia and the Middle East.
Unfortunately, repeated infections are common with UTIs. Twenty-five to 30% of women who have experienced one UTI will have at least one recurrence within the following six months. Issues with UTIs can even continue well beyond active duty, affecting veterans long after their service has ended.
In this article about the VA rating for UTIs:
Veterans and UTIs
A UTI is an infection that can occur anywhere in the urinary system, including the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. It’s mainly caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract, leading to infection and inflammation.
Military service members face many risk factors for UTIs during active duty. Stress, combined with limited access to clean and private bathroom facilities, increases the risk of developing UTIs. Many service members may also avoid drinking water to reduce the need for bathroom breaks, which can lead to dehydration and further increase the risk of infection. The heavy gear and the inconvenience of removing it to use the bathroom can discourage timely urination, allowing bacteria to grow and infections to develop.
Symptoms of UTIs can include:
- Pain in the lower abdomen or back
- A frequent urge to urinate
- Burning sensation when urinating
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
- The presence of blood in the urine
- Fever and chills, indicating the infection may have reached the kidneys
UTIs affecting the bladder, known as cystitis, are the most common type of UTI, often resulting in a frequent, urgent need to urinate, pain or burning during urination, and sometimes blood in the urine. Other types of UTIs include urethritis, an inflamed urethra, pyelonephritis, a kidney infection, and prostatitis, the inflammation of the prostate.
Recurrent UTIs – infections that keep coming back despite treatment – could signal another underlying issue, such as an abscess or urinary stone. Recurrent infections are defined as two infections within six months or three infections within a year.
“If you were injured while serving this country and are reading this review, I encourage you to contact Woods and Woods right away. They are always standing ready to assist veterans in need.”
J.B., a Navy veteran in Virginia
UTI VA disability rating
The VA rates UTIs under 38 CFR 4.115a as follows:
| Description | VA Rating | Monthly payment (vet only) |
|---|---|---|
| Recurrent symptomatic infection requiring drainage by stent or nephrostomy tube; or requiring greater than 2 hospitalizations per year; or requiring continuous intensive management | 30% | $537.42 |
| Recurrent symptomatic infection requiring 1–2 hospitalizations per year or suppressive drug therapy lasting six months or longer | 10% | $175.51 |
| Recurrent symptomatic infection not requiring hospitalization, but requiring suppressive drug therapy for less than 6 months | 0% | None |
Veterans with symptoms of poor renal function should be rated under 38 CFR 4.115a’s renal dysfunction chart. Renal dysfunction, or kidney dysfunction, occurs when the kidneys can no longer adequately filter and clean blood.
| Description | VA Rating | Monthly payment (vet only) |
|---|---|---|
| Chronic kidney disease with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months; or requiring regular routine dialysis; or eligible kidney transplant recipient | 100% | $3,831.30 |
| Chronic kidney disease with GFR from 15 to 29 mL/min/1.73 m2 for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months | 80% | $2,044.89 |
| Chronic kidney disease with GFR from 30 to 44 mL/min/1.73 m2 for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months | 60% | $1,395.93 |
| Chronic kidney disease with GFR from 45 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m2 for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months | 30% | $537.42 |
| GFR from 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73 m2 and either recurrent red blood cell (RBC) casts, white blood cell (WBC) casts, or granular casts for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months; or GFR from 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73 m2 and structural kidney abnormalities (cystic, obstructive, or glomerular) for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months; or GFR from 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73 m2 and albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) ≥30 mg/g for at least 3 consecutive months during the past 12 months | 0% | None |
| Note: GFR, estimated GFR (eGFR), and creatinine-based approximations of GFR will be accepted for evaluation purposes under this section when determined to be appropriate and calculated by a medical professional. | ||
UTIs and related conditions
Veterans with various service-connected conditions who experience UTIs may be eligible for additional benefits through a secondary service connection.
UTIs secondary to neurological conditions
Neurological conditions can affect the lower urinary tract, including the bladder, increasing the risk of UTIs. Spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease can alter bladder control. When someone can’t empty their bladder all the way, the urine that stays in the bladder can cause infections.
UTIs secondary to diabetes
Diabetes, particularly type 2, puts veterans at a higher risk of developing UTIs. Diabetes can make it harder for your body to fight off infections, making it easier for bacteria to grow and cause a UTI. UTIs in people with diabetes tend to be more severe and common and result in worse outcomes.
UTIs and kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard mineral deposits that form within the urinary tract and can cause UTIs. Struvite stones, in particular, can develop when there’s a urinary tract infection, growing rapidly and blocking the flow of urine, creating an environment where bacteria grow and cause an infection.
UTIs and urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence, the failure to control the bladder, can be both a cause and a consequence of UTIs. Conditions that weaken the pelvic floor muscles, such as UTIs, can lead to incontinence. Weakened pelvic floor muscles also make it harder to completely empty the bladder, which in turn can increase the risk of recurrent UTIs.
UTIs and anxiety and depression
There is also a relationship between UTIs and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. The discomfort and stress of recurrent UTIs can lead to anxiety, while the negative impact on social and daily activities can contribute to depression.
TDIU for UTIs
Veterans with disabilities that prevent them from maintaining substantially gainful employment may be entitled to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) benefits.
TDIU provides a pathway for veterans to receive the same compensation as a 100% rating, even when their symptoms do not meet the criteria for a schedular 100% rating.
Veterans with UTIs that include symptoms of renal dysfunction may be eligible for TDIU. Veterans may also be eligible if their service-connected UTI VA disability rating is part of a combined rating of two or more disabilities.
To be eligible for TDIU, veterans typically must have:
- One service-connected disability rated at least 60% OR
- Two or more service-connected disabilities, with one condition rated at least 40% and a combined rating of at least 70%.
“After trying and failing multiple times over many years to get widow’s compensation from the VA, I turned to Woods and Woods… I am so glad we found them. They are wonderful and very good at what they do. They are very professional and keep you updated and formed throughout the process.”
How Woods and Woods can help
If you need help getting the VA disability benefits you deserve, Woods and Woods is here to support you. With a team of VA-accredited attorneys, legal analysts, case managers, and support staff, we’re ready to provide the assistance you need. Contact us for a free case evaluation today. You only pay if we win your case.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Stress, combined with limited access to clean and private bathroom facilities, increases the risk of service members developing UTIs. Many service members may also avoid drinking water to reduce the need for bathroom breaks, which can lead to dehydration and further increase the risk of infection. The heavy gear and the inconvenience of removing it to use the bathroom can discourage timely urination, allowing bacteria to grow and infections to develop.
The VA will assign a UTI VA disability rating using 38 CFR 4.115a at 0%, 10%, or 30%. Veterans experiencing symptoms of renal dysfunction can receive a rating of up to 100% based on the renal dysfunction chart. Renal dysfunction, or kidney dysfunction, occurs when the kidneys can no longer adequately filter and clean blood.
Neil Woods
VA disability lawyer
Woods and Woods
VA Accreditation Number: 44739
