Respiratory System§ 4.97Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6832Pneumoconiosis (silicosis, anthracosis, etc.)

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)

Pneumoconiosis (Silicosis, Anthracosis, etc.) — VA Disability Rating (Diagnostic Code 6832)

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

What This Condition Is

Pneumoconiosis is a group of lung conditions—including silicosis and anthracosis—that fall under diagnostic code 6832 in the VA's respiratory system rating schedule. The VA evaluates this condition using the General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease.

Because it affects the lungs, ratings are based largely on how well your lungs are functioning, measured through standardized pulmonary tests and clinical findings.

How the VA Measures It

When rating pneumoconiosis, the VA looks at objective measures of lung function and related complications, including:

  • Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) — expressed as a percentage of the predicted value
  • Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) — expressed as a percentage of the predicted value
  • Maximum exercise capacity — measured in ml/kg/min of oxygen consumption, with cardiorespiratory limitation
  • The presence of cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension
  • Whether the condition requires outpatient oxygen therapy

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of the following rating percentages based on the criteria below.

100%

  • 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%

  • 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%

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

10%

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

This information is drawn from the VA rating schedule (38 CFR § 4.97, diagnostic code 6832). It is provided for general educational purposes and describes the rating criteria only.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.97, diagnostic code 6832. 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 6832 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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