Is a 0% VA Rating Worth Anything?

A 0% VA rating is worth having. It pays nothing each month, but it means VA has officially found the condition service-connected. Care for that condition at VA carries no copay, you can file for an increase later without proving the link to service again, and it can be the starting point for a secondary claim. If you have two or more 0% conditions that clearly interfere with normal employability, VA can also assign a single 10% rating for them (38 CFR 3.324).

A 0% decision has two parts: VA agreed the condition is connected to your service, and VA found that your current symptoms don't meet the lowest paying level. The first part is the hard one to win, and it is already done.

What does a 0% or "noncompensable" rating mean?

It means VA granted service connection but found that the condition doesn't meet the criteria for any paying level of its rating schedule. Under 38 CFR 4.31, when a diagnostic code has no 0% level written into it, VA assigns 0% anyway whenever the requirements for a compensable rating aren't met. "Noncompensable" on your decision letter means the same thing: rated, but no monthly payment for that condition.

Hearing loss is a common example. A veteran can have hearing loss that meets VA's definition of a disability and still land at 0% on VA's hearing tables. The hearing loss rating page explains why.

What a 0% rating gets you

• Service connection on the record. VA has already decided the condition is connected to your service. That part doesn't have to be argued again.
• Care for that condition without a copay. VA's copay page lists "care related to a VA-rated service-connected disability" among the services with no copay, regardless of rating (VA copay rates). A 0% rating is also one of the factors VA uses to place you in a health care priority group, along with income and other factors (VA priority groups).
• A head start on an increase. If the condition gets worse, you file for an increase with evidence of the current symptoms. You don't start over on service connection.
• A base for secondary claims. A service-connected condition, even at 0%, can be the cause of another condition you claim as secondary. See secondary service connection.
• A possible 10% for several 0% conditions. See the next section.

Can two or more 0% ratings add up to 10%?

They can, under one specific rule. 38 CFR 3.324 lets VA assign a 10% rating when you have two or more separate, permanent service-connected disabilities that clearly interfere with normal employability, even though none of them is rated above 0%. The 10% can't be combined with any other rating, so it only matters when you have no compensable rating yet.

It isn't automatic. If you have several 0% conditions and they affect your work, describe how in a statement and ask VA to consider 38 CFR 3.324.

When to ask for more than 0%

Compare your symptoms today with the criteria for the next level up on the rating criteria pages. If your symptoms meet a higher level now, file for an increase with current medical evidence; the increase guide walks through it. If you think the 0% was wrong when VA decided it, you generally have one year from the decision to ask for a review and keep the original effective date. The appeal options guide covers which lane fits.

The Decision Letter Analyzer can read your letter and show which conditions were granted at 0% and what the letter says was missing for a higher level. A free VA-accredited VSO can also review the letter with you.

Frequently asked questions

What does noncompensable mean on my VA decision letter?

It means VA service-connected the condition but rated it 0%, so it doesn't add to your monthly payment. Under 38 CFR 4.31, VA assigns 0% when the requirements for a compensable rating aren't met.

Do I get paid for a 0% VA rating?

No. A 0% rating has no monthly payment of its own. The one exception is 38 CFR 3.324: two or more 0% conditions that clearly interfere with normal employability can support a single 10% rating, which does pay.

Does a 0% rating get me VA health care?

VA's copay page says care related to a VA-rated service-connected disability has no copay, regardless of rating. Whether you can enroll for other care, and in which priority group, depends on your rating, income and other factors listed on VA's priority groups page.

Can VA raise a 0% rating later?

Yes. If the condition gets worse, file for an increase with current medical evidence. Service connection is already established, so the question is only how severe the condition is now.

Should I appeal a 0% rating?

Only if the evidence VA had already showed a higher level, or you have new evidence that it does. Compare your records with the criteria for the next level, and decide within one year of the decision to keep the original effective date. A free VA-accredited VSO can help you choose a review lane.