Get the VA rating you’ve actually earned.
Tactical, CFR-sourced guides for the conditions veterans get under-rated, denied, or never file as secondaries. No fluff, no upsell, no paywall.
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Condition guides
Tactical, CFR-sourced
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Diagnostic codes
Searchable 38 CFR Part 4
2026
VA rate tables
Dec 2025 COLA applied
$0
Cost to you
No paywall, ever
Start here
The conditions veterans claim most
Each guide walks the rating tiers, the exam questions the VA actually asks, the evidence that wins, and the secondaries you should be filing alongside.
Sleep Apnea
DC 6847Sleep study + CPAP = automatic 50%
PTSD
DC 9411GAF + occupational impairment drive the tier
Back Pain
DC 5237Goniometer reading or you stay at 10%
Migraines
DC 8100Prostrating attacks unlock 30 – 50%
Tinnitus
DC 6260Flat 10% — easiest claim in the book
Diabetes (Type 2)
DC 7913Insulin + restricted diet = 40%
Hypertension
DC 7101Home BP log can break a denial open
Depression
DC 9434Same formula as PTSD — same dollars
Knee Conditions
DC 5260Flexion + instability rate separately
Hearing Loss
DC 6100Audiogram + Maryland CNC required
GERD
DC 7346Secondary to PTSD meds in many cases
TBI
DC 804510 facets — rate the highest
What the right page can do for you
Four plays most veterans never run
Real tactics pulled from the catalog. Each one is the difference between “denied” or “10%” and a rating that reflects what service actually did.
CPAP unlocks 50% — for life
If your sleep study confirms OSA and a provider prescribes CPAP, you qualify for 50%. That is $1,132.90/mo — $13,594/yr — and it does not stop when symptoms improve.
Read the full play →No goniometer reading? You stay at 10%
C&P examiners must measure thoracolumbar range of motion with a goniometer and document flare-up loss. Without that, raters default to the minimum. Ask for both before you sign out.
Read the full play →A $20 BP cuff can flip a denial
Take three readings a day for 30 days on an automated cuff. Average diastolic ≥100 or systolic ≥160 hits 10% — averages above thresholds in CFR § 4.104 push higher. Often the difference between denied and rated.
Read the full play →TDIU at 70% pays the 100% rate
If a service-connected condition prevents substantially gainful employment, TDIU bridges you to the 100% pay rate. That is roughly $24,000/yr many vets leave on the table by never filing Form 21-8940.
Read the full play →Tools
Stop guessing your combined rating
Four free tools that do the math, build your evidence list, and map secondaries — so you walk into a C&P with a plan instead of a stack of records.
VA Math Calculator
38 CFR § 4.25 combined-rating math. Add ratings the way the VA actually does it — not simple addition.
Open tool →Evidence Checklist
Personalized DBQ + records list for each condition you claim. Walk into your C&P knowing what is missing.
Open tool →Secondary Mapper
Enter what is already service-connected. Get a prioritized list of secondaries with the strongest medical link.
Open tool →DC Code Lookup
All 728 diagnostic codes from Part 4 — searchable, with rating criteria and regulation links.
Open tool →How it works
Three steps. No sales pitch.
STEP 01
Create a free account
Saves your guides, unlocks the four tools, tracks your filing progress. No card.
STEP 02
Look up your conditions
Search by name or DC. Every guide is built on the live 38 CFR Part 4 schedule.
STEP 03
Build your evidence plan
Use the checklist + secondary mapper, then walk in with a file your VSO will recognize.
Why VA Disability Max
Built on 38 CFR Part 4
Every rating tier and threshold sourced directly from the regulation. Citations, not vibes.
2026 rates, Dec 2025 COLA
Every dollar figure on the site reflects the current pay tables. Updated, not stale.
Free. No paywall.
No subscription. No upsell. No data sales. Education paid for by people who give a damn.
Our mission
VA Disability Max is an educational resource. We do not prepare claims, give personal legal or medical advice, or promise any outcome. We exist so that veterans can walk into a conversation with their VSO, attorney, or physician already knowing what the regulation says — and what their claim is worth if they file it right.