Hemic and Lymphatic Systems§ 4.117Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 7725Myelodysplastic syndromes:

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 chemotherapy

  2. 60%

    Requiring 4 or more blood or platelet transfusions per 12-month period; or infections requiring hospitalization 3 or more times per 12-month period

  3. 30%

    Requiring at least 1 but no more than 3 blood or platelet transfusions per 12-month period; infections requiring hospitalization at least 1 but no more than 2 times per 12-month period; or requiring biologic therapy on an ongoing basis or erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) for 12 weeks or less 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): If the condition progresses to leukemia, evaluate as leukemia under diagnostic code 7703
  • Note (2): A 100 percent evaluation shall be assigned as of the date of hospital admission for peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant, or during the period of treatment with chemotherapy, and shall continue with a mandatory VA examination six months following hospital discharge or, in the case of chemotherapy treatment, six months after completion of treatment. Any reduction in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination shall be subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter. If there has been no recurrence, residuals will be rated under the appropriate diagnostic codes

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (VA Diagnostic Code 7725)

Understanding Your VA Disability Rating for Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes are conditions affecting the Hemic and Lymphatic Systems. The VA rates this condition under Diagnostic Code 7725, found in 38 CFR § 4.117.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns a disability rating based on the treatment your condition requires and its effects over a 12-month period. Here are the rating levels for Myelodysplastic Syndromes:

100% Rating

Assigned when the condition requires peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant, or requires chemotherapy.

60% Rating

Assigned when the condition requires:

  • 4 or more blood or platelet transfusions per 12-month period; or
  • Infections requiring hospitalization 3 or more times per 12-month period

30% Rating

Assigned when the condition requires:

  • At least 1 but no more than 3 blood or platelet transfusions per 12-month period; or
  • Infections requiring hospitalization at least 1 but no more than 2 times per 12-month period; or
  • Biologic therapy on an ongoing basis, or an erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) for 12 weeks or less per 12-month period

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating Myelodysplastic Syndromes, the VA considers the type and frequency of treatment your condition requires, including:

  • Whether you require a stem cell transplant or chemotherapy
  • The number of blood or platelet transfusions needed over a 12-month period
  • How often infections require hospitalization over a 12-month period
  • Whether ongoing biologic therapy or an erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) is required

Important Notes

Progression to Leukemia: If the condition progresses to leukemia, it is evaluated as leukemia under Diagnostic Code 7703.

Treatment-Related 100% Evaluation: A 100 percent evaluation is assigned as of the date of hospital admission for a peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant, or during the period of treatment with chemotherapy. This evaluation continues, with a mandatory VA examination scheduled six months following hospital discharge or, in the case of chemotherapy, six months after completion of treatment. Any reduction in evaluation based on that or a subsequent examination is subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e). If there has been no recurrence, any residuals will be rated under the appropriate diagnostic codes.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.117, diagnostic code 7725. 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 7725 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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