Respiratory System§ 4.97Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6602Asthma, bronchial:

Rated from 10% to 100% under § 4.97. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 100%

    FEV-1 less than 40-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent, or; more than one attack per week with episodes of respiratory failure, or; requires daily use of systemic (oral or parenteral) high dose corticosteroids or immuno-suppressive medications

  2. 60%

    FEV-1 of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or; at least monthly visits to a physician for required care of exacerbations, or; intermittent (at least three per year) courses of systemic (oral or parenteral) corticosteroids

  3. 30%

    FEV-1 of 56- to 70-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or; daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy, or; inhalational anti-inflammatory medication

  4. 10%

    FEV-1 of 71- to 80-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or; intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note: In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at time of examination, a verified history of asthmatic attacks must be of record.

VA Disability Ratings for Bronchial Asthma (Diagnostic Code 6602)

Understanding Your Asthma Rating

Bronchial asthma is a condition of the respiratory system. The VA rates it under Diagnostic Code 6602 in § 4.97 of its rating schedule.

If you have a history of asthma, understanding how the VA evaluates the condition can help you know what information may be relevant to your claim.

How the VA Rates Bronchial Asthma

The VA assigns a disability rating for asthma based on measurable lung-function test results and the type and frequency of treatment you need. Asthma can be rated at 10%, 30%, 60%, or 100%.

Two common measurements the VA references are:

  • FEV-1 — the amount of air you can forcefully exhale in one second, expressed as a percentage of what is predicted for someone with similar characteristics.
  • FEV-1/FVC — the ratio of that one-second measurement to your total forced exhalation.

Below are the rating levels and the criteria associated with each.

100% Rating

  • FEV-1 less than 40-percent predicted, or
  • FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent, or
  • More than one attack per week with episodes of respiratory failure, or
  • Requires daily use of systemic (oral or parenteral) high-dose corticosteroids or immuno-suppressive medications

60% Rating

  • FEV-1 of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or
  • FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or
  • At least monthly visits to a physician for required care of exacerbations, or
  • Intermittent (at least three per year) courses of systemic (oral or parenteral) corticosteroids

30% Rating

  • FEV-1 of 56- to 70-percent predicted, or
  • FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or
  • Daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy, or
  • Inhalational anti-inflammatory medication

10% Rating

  • FEV-1 of 71- to 80-percent predicted, or
  • FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or
  • Intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy

What the VA Looks For

The VA evaluates asthma using a combination of:

  • Pulmonary function test results — specifically your FEV-1 percentage and your FEV-1/FVC ratio.
  • Frequency of attacks and physician visits — including how often you need care for exacerbations.
  • Type and frequency of medication — such as bronchodilators, inhalational anti-inflammatory medication, systemic corticosteroids, or immuno-suppressive medications.

Because a single rating level lists several possible criteria connected by "or," meeting any one of the listed criteria may be relevant to that level.

Please note: In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at the time of examination, a verified history of asthmatic attacks must be of record.

This information is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the VA rating criteria for Diagnostic Code 6602 under § 4.97. It is not legal advice, and individual results depend on the specific facts of each claim.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.97, diagnostic code 6602. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    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.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 6602 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Respiratory System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

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