Hemic and Lymphatic Systems§ 4.117Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 7716Aplastic anemia:

Rated from 30% to 100% under § 4.117. 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%

    Requiring peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant; or requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells, on average, at least once every six weeks per 12-month period; or infections recurring, on average, at least once every six weeks per 12-month period

  2. 60%

    Requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells, on average, at least once every three months per 12-month period; or infections recurring, on average, at least once every three months per 12-month period; or using continuous therapy with immunosuppressive agent or newer platelet stimulating factors

  3. 30%

    Requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells, on average, at least once per 12-month period; or infections recurring, on average, at least once per 12-month period

From the schedule

Notes on this code

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

  • Note (1): A 100 percent evaluation for peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant shall be assigned as of the date of hospital admission and shall continue with a mandatory VA examination six months following hospital discharge. Any change in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination shall be subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter
  • Note (2): The term ânewer platelet stimulating factorsâ includes medication, factors, or other agents approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration

VA Disability Ratings for Aplastic Anemia (Diagnostic Code 7716)

Understanding Aplastic Anemia and How the VA Rates It

Aplastic anemia is a condition affecting the Hemic and Lymphatic Systems. The VA evaluates it under Diagnostic Code 7716, found in § 4.117 of the rating schedule.

The VA assigns a disability rating based on how the condition is being treated and managed — including whether you require transfusions, experience recurring infections, need ongoing medication, or have undergone a stem cell transplant. The more frequent and intensive the required care, the higher the rating level.

Available Rating Levels

100% Rating

Assigned when the condition is:

  • Requiring peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant; or
  • Requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells, on average, at least once every six weeks per 12-month period; or
  • Infections recurring, on average, at least once every six weeks per 12-month period.

60% Rating

Assigned when the condition is:

  • Requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells, on average, at least once every three months per 12-month period; or
  • Infections recurring, on average, at least once every three months per 12-month period; or
  • Using continuous therapy with an immunosuppressive agent or newer platelet stimulating factors.

30% Rating

Assigned when the condition is:

  • Requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells, on average, at least once per 12-month period; or
  • Infections recurring, on average, at least once per 12-month period.

What the VA Looks For

When rating aplastic anemia, the VA focuses on the type and frequency of treatment your condition requires over a 12-month period. Key factors include:

  • Transfusions — how often you require transfusion of platelets or red cells, measured on average across a 12-month period.
  • Recurring infections — how frequently infections recur, measured on average across a 12-month period.
  • Ongoing therapy — whether you use continuous therapy with an immunosuppressive agent or newer platelet stimulating factors.
  • Stem cell transplant — whether you require a peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant.

Important Notes

Note (1): A 100 percent evaluation for peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant is assigned as of the date of hospital admission and continues with a mandatory VA examination six months following hospital discharge. Any change in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination is subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e).

Note (2): The term "newer platelet stimulating factors" includes medication, factors, or other agents approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.117, diagnostic code 7716. 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 7716 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Hemic and Lymphatic Systems codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

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