What Veterans Can do When a 30% Rating Isn't Enough For Their IBS
The VA, in their infinite wisdom, only permits a maximum rating of 30% for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Frankly, this is ridiculous. Anyone who has dealt with IBS knows that it can have a massive impact on your ability to work and your social life. For some reason our culture (and the VA) seems to minimize or dismiss the notable impact IBS and other digestive conditions can have. In my experience, people who don’t have IBS just flat out don’t understand the havoc it can cause physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Unfortunately, for myriad reasons, IBS is a common condition that Veterans and service-members suffer with. Maybe that has something to do with all the stuff they pump you full of or all the crazy chemicals and toxins service-members are exposed to….
In 2024 the VA adopted a new rating criteria for IBS under DC 7319. The new rating criteria is:
30% VA Rating for IBS: Abdominal pain related to defecation at least one day per week during the previous three months; and two or more of the following: (1) change in stool frequency, (2) change in stool form, (3) altered stool passage (straining and/or urgency), (4) mucorrhea, (5) abdominal bloating, or (6) subjective distension.
20% VA Rating for IBS: Abdominal pain related to defecation for at least three days per month during the previous three months; and two or more of the following: (1) change in stool frequency, (2) change in stool form, (3) altered stool passage (straining and/or urgency), (4) mucorrhea, (5) abdominal bloating, or (6) subjective distension.
10% VA Rating for IBS: Abdominal pain related to defecation at least once during the previous three months; and two or more of the following: (1) change in stool frequency, (2) change in stool form, (3) altered stool passage (straining and/or urgency), (4) mucorrhea, (5) abdominal bloating, or (6) subjective distension.
Opinions are mixed on whether this will make it easier for Veterans to qualify for a 30% rating when compared to the previous rating criteria. But the fact remains that there should be higher ratings available for severe cases.
So how do Veterans with more severe cases of IBS get a rating that actually reflects the impact of their IBS?
The most effective method I’ve found, and one that I’ve had great success with for the Veterans that I help, is to claim Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) secondary to service-connected IBS.
It is quite common for severe medical conditions to cause depression. IBS is no different. It can impact a Veteran’s ability to work and severely restrict their ability to maintain healthy relationships with family and friends. In some severe cases it can prevent a Veteran from working altogether and cause the complete demise of relationships. It was an exceptionally bad case, but I’ve seen an instance where a Veteran was awarded 100% for MDD secondary to service-connected IBS.
Each case is unique, but I have found that in some cases it can be helpful to get a thorough independent medical opinion (IMO) from a clinical psychologist to support such a secondary claim. And I don’t mean an IMO from one of those nexus letter mills taking advantage of desperate Veterans and pumping out worthless medical opinions. If you didn’t know, the VA maintains an internal list of these providers and getting a nexus letter from one of them virtually guarantees that you’ll never win your claim or appeal. Who you get an opinion from and what it says matters a lot.
Perhaps we’ll talk more about that internal VA list at some point in the future.