Respiratory System§ 4.97Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6830Radiation-induced pulmonary pneumonitis and fibrosis

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)

Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Pneumonitis and Fibrosis (VA Diagnostic Code 6830)

Respiratory System · 38 CFR § 4.97 · Rated under the General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease

Understanding the Condition

Radiation-induced pulmonary pneumonitis and fibrosis is a lung condition that the VA evaluates under the respiratory system rules in § 4.97. It is rated using the General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease, the same framework the VA applies to conditions that affect how well the lungs take in air and transfer oxygen to the bloodstream.

Because this condition is rated on the interstitial lung disease formula, the VA relies heavily on objective breathing tests and measurements of lung function rather than symptoms alone.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns a disability rating based on the results of specific pulmonary function tests and related findings. The available levels for Diagnostic Code 6830 are:

100%

Assigned when any one of the following is present:

  • 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

60%

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%

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%

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 this condition, the VA focuses on objective measurements of lung function, including:

  • Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) as a percentage of the predicted value
  • Diffusion Capacity (DLCO (SB)) measured by the single breath method, as a percentage of the predicted value
  • Maximum exercise capacity, measured in ml/kg/min oxygen consumption, along with any cardiorespiratory limitation
  • The presence of cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension
  • Whether the condition requires outpatient oxygen therapy

Each rating level can be met by satisfying any one of the listed criteria for that level, so a single qualifying test result or finding can support the corresponding rating.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.97, diagnostic code 6830. 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 6830 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Respiratory System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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