Respiratory System§ 4.97Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6827Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis

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%

    Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) less than 50-percent predicted, or; Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) less than 40-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation, or; cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension, or; requires outpatient oxygen therapy

  2. 60%

    FVC of 50- to 64-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation

  3. 30%

    FVC of 65- to 74-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 56- to 65-percent predicted

  4. 10%

    FVC of 75- to 80-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 66- to 80-percent predicted

How it is applied

General rating formula

General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease (diagnostic codes 6825 through 6833)

Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (VA Diagnostic Code 6827)

Understanding Your VA Disability Rating for Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a respiratory system condition rated by the VA under 38 CFR § 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6827. Because it affects the lungs, the VA evaluates it using the General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease.

This formula relies heavily on objective pulmonary function testing. The two key measurements are:

  • Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) — the amount of air you can forcefully exhale, expressed as a percentage of what's predicted for someone of your age, sex, and size.
  • Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) — a measure of how well oxygen passes from your lungs into your bloodstream, also expressed as a percentage of predicted.

In some cases, the VA also considers your maximum exercise capacity (measured in ml/kg/min of oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation), as well as certain serious complications and treatment needs.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of the following disability ratings based on your test results and clinical findings:

100% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • FVC less than 50-percent predicted, or
  • DLCO (SB) less than 40-percent predicted, or
  • Maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation, or
  • Cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension, or
  • Requires outpatient oxygen therapy

60% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • FVC of 50- to 64-percent predicted, or
  • DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or
  • Maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation

30% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • FVC of 65- to 74-percent predicted, or
  • DLCO (SB) of 56- to 65-percent predicted

10% Rating

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • FVC of 75- to 80-percent predicted, or
  • DLCO (SB) of 66- to 80-percent predicted

What the VA Looks For

When rating pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, the VA focuses on:

  • Pulmonary function test results, particularly your FVC and DLCO (SB) percentages of predicted values.
  • Exercise capacity testing results in cases where oxygen consumption and cardiorespiratory limitation are measured.
  • Serious complications such as cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension.
  • Whether you require outpatient oxygen therapy.

Because each rating level lists its criteria with "or," meeting any single listed measurement or finding for a given level can support that rating.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.97, diagnostic code 6827. 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 6827 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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