Arthritis is a common diagnosis among veterans, and it can make it difficult to maintain a job, complete chores, or even enjoy hobbies you used to love. If your rheumatoid arthritis was caused or worsened by your service, read on to understand if you might be eligible for a rheumatoid arthritis VA rating.
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Over time, the persistent joint pain and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis can lead to more serious issues like bone erosion and joint deformity. If left untreated, these problems can worsen or lead to other conditions like carpal tunnel, heart disease, or mental health disorders. Although there’s no cure, rheumatoid arthritis can be managed, and VA disability could help compensate you for the ways in which your condition makes work more difficult.
In this article about the VA rating for rheumatoid arthritis:
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Unlike osteoarthritis, which is caused by wear and tear of the joints, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy tissue surrounding the joints. Similar to other forms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis causes painful inflammation and swelling of the joints. It’s most commonly found in the hands, wrists, and knees.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often happen bilaterally or on both sides of the body. This means that if you are experiencing joint pain and inflammation in your right wrist, for example, it’s likely you’ll have the same problems in your left wrist.
Rheumatoid arthritis can have several causes including genetics or hormones. It can also be caused by environmental factors like smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke, infections, or dietary habits. People with rheumatoid arthritis experience times when symptoms worsen, or “flare”, as well as periods of time when symptoms improve, which is known as remission. Though there’s not always a clear cause, symptoms tend to flare due to triggers like stress, too much activity, or a viral infection.
Some of the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Pain in multiple joints
- Stiffness in multiple joints that is usually worse in the morning and after periods of inactivity
- Bilateral flare-ups (affects both sides of the body)
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Fever
Veterans and rheumatoid arthritis
It’s estimated that about 25% of veterans have some form of arthritis, making the disease more prevalent in veterans than in their non-veteran counterparts.
Although it is diagnosed two to three times more often in women than in men, cases of rheumatoid arthritis in men are usually more severe, and more commonly lead to secondary conditions like infections or cardiovascular events.
In addition to other risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis, studies have found that veterans who were exposed to inorganic dust from military jobs like welding, vehicle maintenance, and explosives detonation are at a higher risk of developing the disease.
Also relevant to veterans is the link between PTSD and autoimmune disorders. In a study of over 600,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans under the age of 55, it was found that veterans diagnosed with PTSD showed a significantly higher risk of developing an autoimmune disorder compared to veterans with no such diagnosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions
Depending on the severity of the condition and the lifestyle of the person diagnosed, rheumatoid arthritis can increase your risk of developing a number of secondary diseases that are important to take note of when building your VA claim.
Some of the secondary conditions that might develop because of your rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Osteoporosis. Rheumatoid arthritis, as well as some medications used to treat it, can increase your risk of osteoporosis – a condition that weakens the bones, making them more prone to fracture.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. Inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis of the wrists can cause carpal tunnel.
- Cardiovascular problems. Rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk of hardened and blocked arteries and inflammation of the sac that encloses the heart.
- Lung disease. Rheumatoid arthritis causes an increased risk of inflammation and scarring of the lung tissues, which can develop into more serious lung conditions.
- Lymphoma. People with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher risk of lymphoma, a type of cancer that begins in white blood cells that are part of the lymphatic and immune systems.
Rheumatoid arthritis VA rating
Rheumatoid arthritis is typically rated using diagnostic code 5002. You can receive a rating of 20%, 40%, 60%, or 100% depending on the severity and frequency of your symptoms.
| Description | VA Rating | Monthly payment (vet only) |
|---|---|---|
| With constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement, totally incapacitating | 100% | $3,831.30 |
| Less than criteria for 100% but with weight loss and anemia productive of severe impairment of health or severely incapacitating exacerbations occurring 4 or more times a year or a lesser number over prolonged periods | 60% | $1,395.93 |
| Symptom combinations productive of definite impairment of health objectively supported by examination findings or incapacitating exacerbations occurring 3 or more times a year | 40% | $774.16 |
| One or two exacerbations a year in a well-established diagnosis | 20% | $346.95 |
If your condition causes limitation of motion that warrants you a higher rating than your rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, the VA will rate your symptoms on the basis of limitation of motion instead.
The ratings for limitation of motion can be found in diagnostic codes 5200 – 5274, and are grouped by part of the body. For example, if rheumatoid arthritis affects your knees and you experience ankylosis (stiffening or immobility of a joint), upon bending your knee at an angle of 45° or more, you may be rated at 60% for limitation of motion in the knee.
Remember, depending on which is higher, the VA will give you a rating for rheumatoid arthritis OR limitation of motion, but not both.
Bilateral rheumatoid arthritis VA rating
When veterans experience rheumatoid arthritis in both arms or both legs, the condition affects them “bilaterally.”
The VA will apply the bilateral factor when rating bilateral rheumatoid arthritis. If you have service-connected issues in upper or lower limbs on both sides of the body, you can qualify for an extra rating percentage known as the bilateral factor.
“The purpose of the bilateral factor is to compensate veterans for additional disabilities and their restrictions, and their ability to function in their daily life,” said VA disability lawyer Krystal Lechner.
When disability results from injury or disease of both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, ratings for both sides of the body will be combined as normal, and 10% of that value will be added. For example, if your rheumatoid arthritis is rated at 30% on your right wrist and 10% on your left wrist, your combined rating would be 37%. The bilateral factor would add an additional 4%, therefore increasing your rheumatoid arthritis rating to 41%. In some cases, the bilateral factor can greatly affect your monthly compensation.
How to service connect rheumatoid arthritis
To receive VA benefits for rheumatoid arthritis, you must be able to service connect the condition.
As you begin the process of filing your rheumatoid arthritis VA disability claim, you will need to be prepared to complete a compensation and pension (C&P) exam. You can service connect your rheumatoid arthritis if you prove that your symptoms began during or were worsened by your time in service. Whether you were exposed to environmental factors that contributed to your condition, or your already-present arthritis was worsened by your time on duty, a doctor may be able to help draw a connection, or nexus, between your condition and your time in the military.
Additionally, if you have other conditions you believe were caused by your service-connected rheumatoid arthritis, a doctor may be able to help you prove this link as well.
Rheumatoid arthritis VA presumptive
Depending on when your symptoms began, your rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis may qualify for presumption of service connection.
Rheumatoid arthritis, like degenerative arthritis, is considered a chronic condition. If your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms develop to a degree of at least 10% within one year of discharge, presumption of service connection will be applied, and you won’t have to prove your condition was caused by your service.
What if a veteran can’t work due to rheumatoid arthritis?
The pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis can make it difficult to hold down a job. You may find it hard to sit or stand for extended periods of time, and it might be too painful to perform physical labor or carry heavy loads. If you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in the hands and wrists, it can be difficult to do work that requires manual dexterity, like writing or typing.
Because of these limitations, many veterans with a rheumatoid arthritis rating may qualify for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) benefits.
If you can’t work, but you don’t meet the criteria for a 100% rating, you can still qualify for schedular TDIU if you have:
- At least one service-connected disability rated at 60% or higher
OR
- Two or more service-connected conditions, with at least one ratable at 40% or more, for a combined rating of at least 70%.
Severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis may be eligible for TDIU on their own. You could also qualify if you have been diagnosed with service-connected rheumatoid arthritis along with another service-connected condition.
How Woods and Woods can help
Our team of accredited VA disability lawyers, legal analysts, and case managers examine the law and gather evidence to help get you the VA compensation you deserve.
Call us for a free case evaluation to find out what we can do to help. If we take your case, you will only pay us a percentage of your back pay if we win, and we will never touch your future monthly benefits.
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Rheumatoid arthritis is rated at 20%, 40%, 60%, or 100% depending on the severity and frequency of your symptoms. If you experience a limitation of motion that is rated at a percentage higher than your rheumatoid arthritis, you will instead receive a rating based on limitation of motion. However, it’s important to note that you will either get a limitation of motion rating or a rheumatoid arthritis rating, but not both.
Yes. Because it is a chronic disease, rheumatoid arthritis is a VA presumptive condition if symptoms develop to a degree of at least 10% within one year of discharge.
Neil Woods
VA disability attorney
Woods & Woods
Neil Woods is the firm’s owner and president. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
