VA Diagnostic Code 6201Chronic nonsuppurative otitis media with effusion (serous otitis media):
Rated under § 4.87. No rating levels have been extracted for this code yet — use the official source.
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Summary
Rate hearing impairment
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Chronic Nonsuppurative Otitis Media with Effusion (Serous Otitis Media)
VA Diagnostic Code 6201 · 38 CFR § 4.87 · Impairment of Auditory Acuity
What This Condition Is
Chronic nonsuppurative otitis media with effusion — also known as serous otitis media — is a condition affecting the ear, categorized by the VA under Impairment of Auditory Acuity. It falls within the schedule of ratings for diseases of the ear found in 38 CFR § 4.87.
How the VA Rates It
For Diagnostic Code 6201, the VA does not assign a percentage for the effusion itself. Instead, the criteria direct the VA to rate the resulting hearing impairment.
In other words, the disability evaluation is based on the degree of hearing loss associated with the condition, rather than the presence of the ear condition alone.
What the VA Looks For
When evaluating Diagnostic Code 6201, the VA focuses on:
- Hearing impairment — the evaluation is based on measured hearing loss connected to the condition.
Because the rating is tied to hearing impairment, documentation and evaluation of your hearing acuity are central to how this condition is assessed under § 4.87.
This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule for Diagnostic Code 6201. It is provided for general educational purposes and does not guarantee any particular rating or outcome.
These criteria are a rendering of § 4.87, diagnostic code 6201. The official version is the one that governs your rating.
View official sourceHow to claim this
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Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.
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Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.
Claim it by code
File under diagnostic code 6201 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Impairment of Auditory Acuity codes may cover your secondary conditions.
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