VA Combined Ratings Chart and VA Math Explained

For veterans, understanding how the VA combines disability ratings is a crucial part of maximizing your benefits. But if you’ve ever looked at your VA decision letter and wondered, “Why don’t my percentages just add up?”—you’re not alone. The VA’s math isn’t simple addition. Instead, they use a system that reflects how each new disability impacts your overall health, not just your body on paper. This article will break down exactly how VA combined ratings work, why the math is the way it is, and how you can use this knowledge to your advantage.

Why VA Combined Ratings Aren’t Simple Addition

It’s a common misconception that if you have two disabilities rated at 30% and 20%, you simply add them together for a 50% rating. In reality, the VA uses a method that accounts for the “whole person” concept. This approach recognizes that you can’t be more than 100% disabled, so each additional rating applies to what’s left of your overall health—not the original 100%.

The "Whole Person" Concept in Plain English

Imagine your body as a pie chart that starts at 100% healthy. When you receive your first disability rating, say 40%, the VA considers you 40% disabled and 60% healthy. If you then receive another 30% rating, that 30% is applied to the remaining 60% of your healthy body, not the original 100%. This process ensures that ratings reflect the actual impact on your ability to function, rather than simply stacking percentages.

Step-by-Step Examples of VA Math

Example 1: Two Disabilities (40% and 20%)

Let’s walk through a common scenario:

• Your first disability is rated at 40%. You’re now 40% disabled, 60% healthy.

• Your next disability is rated at 20%. The VA takes 20% of your remaining 60% healthy, which is 12% (0.2 x 60).

• Add the 40% and 12%: 40% + 12% = 52%.

• The VA rounds combined ratings to the nearest 10%. So, 52% rounds down to 50% combined.

Example 2: Three Disabilities (30%, 20%, and 10%)

• Start with 30%: You’re 30% disabled, 70% healthy.

• Add 20% of 70%: 0.2 x 70 = 14%. 30% + 14% = 44% disabled.

• Add 10% of the remaining 56%: 0.1 x 56 = 5.6%. 44% + 5.6% = 49.6%.

• VA rounds to the nearest 10%: 50% combined.

Example 3: Four Disabilities (50%, 30%, 10%, and 10%)

• Start with 50%: 50% disabled, 50% healthy.

• Add 30% of 50%: 0.3 x 50 = 15%. 50% + 15% = 65% disabled.

• Add 10% of 35%: 0.1 x 35 = 3.5%. 65% + 3.5% = 68.5%.

• Add another 10% of 31.5%: 0.1 x 31.5 = 3.15%. 68.5% + 3.15% = 71.65%.

• VA rounds to the nearest 10%: 70% combined.

As you can see, the numbers quickly get complicated. That’s why the VA uses a Combined Ratings Table, but the logic behind it is always the same: each new rating applies to the portion of you that’s still considered healthy.

The Bilateral Factor: When Both Limbs Are Involved

If you have disabilities affecting both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, the VA applies what’s called the bilateral factor. This is a small bonus added to your combined rating for these paired disabilities, recognizing that disabilities on both sides of the body are more limiting than just one. The bilateral factor is typically 10% of the combined value of the two affected limbs, added before continuing the VA math. This can make a real difference in your final combined rating, especially if you have multiple limb conditions.

How Combined Ratings Affect Your Benefits Strategy

Because of the way the VA combines ratings, small increases in individual ratings—or adding a new, smaller-rated condition—can push your combined rating over the next threshold. For example, going from 94% to 95% means your rating rounds up from 90% to 100%, which can double your monthly benefit. This is why pursuing every eligible claim, even for lower percentages, can have a big impact on your compensation.

It’s also why it’s important to understand where you stand in the VA math, so you can make informed decisions about seeking increases or filing new claims.

Frequently Asked Questions About VA Combined Ratings

1. Why doesn’t the VA just add my ratings together?

Because each rating is applied to the remaining “healthy” part of you, not the original 100%. This prevents the total from ever exceeding 100%.

2. What is the VA Combined Ratings Table?

It’s a chart the VA uses to quickly find your combined rating instead of doing the math each time. You can find it in the VA’s regulations or on their website.

3. How does the VA round combined ratings?

The VA rounds to the nearest 10%. For example, 54% rounds down to 50%, while 55% rounds up to 60%.

4. What is the bilateral factor, and when does it apply?

The bilateral factor is added when you have disabilities on both sides of your body (like both knees or both arms). It increases your combined rating slightly.

5. Can a small rating really make a difference?

Yes! Even a 10% rating can push your combined rating to the next level, increasing your monthly benefits.

6. I have four ratings: 40%, 20%, 10%, and 10%. What’s my combined rating?

Using VA math: 40% + (20% of 60%) = 52% + (10% of 48%) = 56.8% + (10% of 43.2%) = 61.12%. This rounds to 60% combined.

7. Why is my combined rating lower than I expected?

Because of the "whole person" concept, each new rating applies to the remaining healthy portion, not the original 100%.

8. How do I increase my combined rating?

You can file for increases on existing conditions or file new claims for additional service-connected disabilities.

9. Where can I see the VA Combined Ratings Table?

It’s available on the VA’s official website or in their regulations (38 CFR § 4.25).

10. Does the VA ever round up my rating?

Yes. If your combined rating is halfway or more to the next 10%, it rounds up. For example, 65% becomes 70%.

11. Do all disabilities count equally?

No. The VA combines the highest ratings first, then applies the next highest to what’s left, and so on.

12. Can I get more than 100%?

No. The highest possible VA disability rating is 100%.