VA Diagnostic Code 8100Migraine
Rated from 0% to 50% under § 4.124a. 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.
- 50%
With very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability
- 30%
With characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once a month over last several months
- 10%
With characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in 2 months over last several months
- 0%
With less frequent attacks
Migraine (VA Diagnostic Code 8100)
Understanding VA Disability Ratings for Migraines
Migraine is rated by the VA under Diagnostic Code 8100, found in § 4.124a, within the body system covering Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders.
When the VA evaluates migraines, it focuses on how often your attacks occur and how severe or disabling they are — including whether they leave you "prostrating" (unable to carry on with normal activity) and how much they affect your ability to work.
Available Rating Levels
The VA assigns one of the following ratings for migraines based on the frequency and severity of your attacks:
| Rating | What It Reflects |
|---|---|
| 50% | Very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability |
| 30% | Characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once a month over the last several months |
| 10% | Characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in 2 months over the last several months |
| 0% | Less frequent attacks |
What the VA Looks For
When rating migraines under Diagnostic Code 8100, the VA considers:
- How often your attacks occur — for example, roughly once a month, once every two months, or less frequently.
- Whether your attacks are "prostrating" — meaning attacks that leave you unable to continue your normal activities.
- How prolonged your attacks are — longer-lasting attacks factor into the higher rating levels.
- The impact on your ability to work — the highest rating (50%) considers attacks that are "productive of severe economic inadaptability."
The pattern of your attacks "over the last several months" is part of how the VA looks at frequency, so a consistent history can be relevant to the level assigned.
These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8100. The official version is the one that governs your rating.
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File under diagnostic code 8100 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders codes may cover your secondary conditions.
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