VA Math

VA MATH

(How does 70+50+40 not add up to 100!?)

How The VA Uses Percentages

• The VA uses its rating schedule to determine the amount of disability compensation each service-connected disability receives. The ratings are based upon “the average impairments of earning capacity…from such injuries (Stichman, l Abrams and Spataro 2019)”. In other words, the VA has a schedule of possible disabilities and has determined, as far as practicable, how much they would impair the amount a person in civilian occupations would be able to earn.

• The ratings range from 0% to 100% in increments of 10.

• When a Veteran submits a disability claim to the VA, they can list one issue on the claim form, or a dozen issues. However, each separate issue is treated as its own claim, and will be researched and adjudicated as such. And as the issues are adjudicated, if they are approved, the disabilities are added to the claim one at a time to arrive at the Veterans final rating.

• As the ratings are added to the claim they are not added together as one would think. Each percentage is taken from the remaining percentage to arrive at the new total. See the ‘WHOLE PIE’ analogy below.

Bilateral Ratings

If a Veteran has a bilateral disability, things change a little bit. A bilateral disability affects both sides of the individual, as in both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles. In that case. The VA will add 10% of the bilateral total rating to the bilateral rating. For example, if the VA decides a Veteran has a rating of 10% for the right leg and a 20% rating for the left foot, they will add those disabilities together and then add 10% of that total for the ‘bilateral factor’.

In this example, (20%+10%)X10%=A bilateral factor of 2.8 added to the combined rating.

The WHOLE PIE Analogy Using an Award of 70%, 50% and 40%

Combined to 90%

Take an apple pie (Hmmmm....Apple pie!). OK, a hypothetical apple pie.

• Start out with a whole pie (or, whole person) at 100%.

• Take the largest awarded percentage. Let's say 70%. Take that 70%, give it to your veteran and say 'Enjoy! This is yours!'.

• You have 30% left of the original pie.

• Now, take the next highest awarded percentage. Let's say 50%. 50% of what pie remains is 15%. (30X50%=15)

• Give that to your veteran. 70 + 15=85.

• In this hypothetical, the Veteran still has some percentages left. Great! More pie for them!

• Next highest rating is 40%. There is 15% left of the original pie (The original 'whole person') So, 40% of what is left is 6 (15X40%=6).

• Add the current percentage to this new one. 85+6=91, rounded down to 90%. Still not at 100.

And so on...

Remember, the VA rounds to the nearest 10% increment.

Get to 95 or more  and *BOOM*…you are 100%!