Vision system · 38 CFR 4.79
Vision Conditions and VA Disability
Your eyes are rated on what you can see, not on the diagnosis alone. The VA measures two things: how sharp your central vision is, and how wide your field of view is. Most eye diseases are rated under one formula in 38 CFR 4.79. Diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, cataracts, and injuries from blasts or trauma are the claims we see most.
Patriot Path handles the medical side of these claims. Our physicians write the nexus letters and independent medical opinions that connect an eye condition to your service, or to another condition the VA already covers. The fee is a flat $1,500, and the first consultation is free.
Medically reviewed by the Patriot Path Medical Team
Licensed MD reviewers • Last updated: June 2026
Conditions in this system
These are the eye conditions veterans claim most. Full guides are on the way.
- Diabetic retinopathyGuide in progress
Eye damage from diabetes, and the eye claim we see most. Usually filed as a secondary to service-connected diabetes.
DC 6040
- Glaucoma
Pressure that damages the optic nerve. A 10% rating applies if you need daily drops, even when your vision still tests well.
DC 6013
- CataractsGuide in progress
Clouding of the lens that blurs vision. Rated on your vision and whether the lens was replaced.
DC 6027
- Retinal detachmentGuide in progress
The retina pulls away from the back of the eye. Rated on lost vision or active treatment.
DC 6008
- Unhealed eye injuryGuide in progress
Lasting damage from trauma or a blast. Often shows up alongside a service-connected TBI.
DC 6009
- Uveitis and eye inflammationGuide in progress
Inflammation inside the eye that flares. Rated on the flare-ups and any vision loss they leave.
DC 6000
How the VA rates vision conditions
Eye conditions are rated on vision loss, not on the diagnosis by itself. The VA measures your best-corrected central vision and your field of view, and it looks at double vision and eye muscle problems. The worse your measured vision, the higher the rating.
Most eye diseases share one formula in 38 CFR 4.79. The VA rates you on your vision loss or on your treatment burden, whichever is higher. Treatment burden means documented eye-care visits over the past year for an active eye disease. Frequent visits for active disease can earn a rating on their own, even before your vision drops.
Two rules surprise veterans. If only one eye is affected, the rating is capped at 30 percent unless the eye is removed or has no light perception. And if the VA covers only one eye, it assumes the other eye sees at 20/40 for the math. A condition that blinds one eye can rate lower than people expect for these reasons.
Connecting an eye condition to service
There are a few ways to tie an eye condition to your service:
- Direct. The condition started in service, or an in-service injury caused it. An eye injury, a blast exposure, or a diagnosis in your records helps.
- Secondary. Another service-connected condition caused it (38 CFR 3.310). Diabetic retinopathy from service-connected diabetes is the classic example, and eye damage after a service-connected TBI is another.
- Presumptive cause. No eye condition is presumptive on its own. But the cause behind it can be. Type 2 diabetes tied to Agent Orange is presumptive, and the retinopathy it causes follows from it.
For a direct or secondary claim, the VA needs a current diagnosis, an in-service cause, and a medical opinion linking them (38 CFR 3.303). That opinion has to clear the “at least as likely as not” standard, a 50 percent or better chance. That standard is the benefit-of-the-doubt rule under 38 U.S.C. 5107(b), carried out in 38 CFR 3.102. A nexus letter is that linking opinion.
Frequently asked questions
How does the VA rate vision loss?
The VA rates your eyes on what you can see, not on the name of the disease. It measures your best-corrected central vision and your field of view, and it factors in double vision. Most eye diseases use one formula in 38 CFR 4.79. The VA rates you on your vision loss or on your treatment burden for active disease, whichever gives the higher rating.
Is diabetic retinopathy a VA disability?
Yes. Diabetic retinopathy is rated under Diagnostic Code 6040. It almost always comes from diabetes, so it is usually filed as secondary to service-connected diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be presumptive for veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and the eye disease follows from it.
Can I get VA disability for losing sight in one eye?
Yes, but two rules shape the rating. Vision loss in a single eye is capped at 30 percent unless the eye is removed or has no light perception. And if the VA covers only that one eye, it assumes your other eye sees at 20/40 for the math. If you lose the eye itself, you may also qualify for Special Monthly Compensation on top of the rating.
Does glaucoma or cataracts from service count?
Yes, if the condition is connected to your service or to another service-connected condition. Glaucoma carries a 10 percent minimum if you need continuous medication to control it. Cataracts are rated on your vision and any lens replacement.
Do I need a nexus letter for an eye claim?
If the cause is already presumptive, you may not. For a direct claim, or an eye condition claimed as secondary to diabetes or a TBI, a nexus letter is often the piece that ties it together and decides the claim.
Losing your vision after service?
Tell us what is going on with your eyes. The first consultation is free, and we will tell you straight whether a nexus letter can strengthen your claim.
Sources & regulatory references
- VA disability compensation (VA.gov) https://www.va.gov/disability/
- 38 CFR 4.79, Schedule of ratings, eye (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.79
- 38 CFR 4.75, General considerations for visual impairment (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.75
- 38 CFR 3.310, Secondary service connection (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-3.310
- 38 U.S.C. 5107, Benefit of the doubt (Cornell LII) https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/5107
- Agent Orange exposure and disability compensation (VA.gov) https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/