Commonly Overlooked VA Disabilities: What Veterans Often Forget to Claim

Most veterans who file VA disability claims focus on the conditions they know about -- the injury that happened during training, the hearing loss from weapons fire, the back pain that started during deployment. What many miss are the secondary conditions that developed because of those primary ones, the presumptive conditions added by legislation years after service, and the disabilities that seemed too minor to claim at the time.

Unclaimed conditions do not pay. And because effective dates are tied to when you file, conditions you discover and claim years later typically get an effective date of the new filing, not your original claim. Filing earlier, even for conditions you are unsure about, almost always works in your favor.

Secondary Conditions

Secondary conditions are disabilities that were caused or aggravated by a service-connected condition. They are often the largest source of unclaimed benefits for veterans who have been in the system for years.

Common examples include:

• Depression and anxiety secondary to chronic pain conditions
• Sleep apnea secondary to PTSD or obesity that developed secondary to a service-connected condition
• Erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes, prostate issues, or psychological conditions
• Peripheral neuropathy secondary to diabetes
• Hypertension secondary to PTSD or kidney conditions
• Migraines secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI) or cervical spine conditions
• Knee or hip conditions secondary to a rated ankle or foot condition that altered gait

To claim a secondary condition, you need a medical nexus -- a statement from a doctor connecting the secondary condition to the service-connected primary. This can come from your VA treating physician or a private doctor. The standard of proof is "at least as likely as not" that the secondary condition was caused or aggravated by the primary.

Presumptive Conditions

Presumptive conditions are disabilities the VA assumes are connected to service based on when and where you served, without requiring you to prove the connection individually. The list of presumptive conditions has expanded significantly in recent years, particularly with the PACT Act of 2022.

Veterans who served in certain locations or were exposed to specific hazards may qualify for presumptive service connection for cancers and other conditions that were previously not on the presumptive list. If you were exposed to burn pits, contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, Agent Orange, or radiation, and you have conditions related to those exposures, check whether they are now presumptive. Many conditions that were denied years ago under the old rules can be refiled under the expanded presumptive list.

Specific examples of commonly missed presumptives:

• Gulf War illness symptoms including chronic fatigue, unexplained pain, and gastrointestinal conditions for veterans who served in the Gulf War theater
• Hypertension, which was added as a presumptive for veterans with at least one year of service
• Bladder cancer and other urinary tract cancers for veterans exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune
• Respiratory cancers and conditions for veterans exposed to burn pits who served after August 2, 1990

Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

Hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) are among the most common service-connected disabilities and among the most underclaimed. Many veterans dismiss these conditions as minor or accept them as an inevitable part of military service.

Tinnitus is consistently one of the most common VA disabilities. Hearing loss rates separately from tinnitus -- having both means two separate ratings. Tinnitus is rated at 10% when present. Hearing loss is rated based on an audiology test, and the rating depends on the severity.

If you have never filed for hearing loss or tinnitus and you spent time around weapons fire, aircraft, heavy equipment, or other loud noise during service, a current audiology evaluation and a nexus letter are often all that is needed to establish service connection.

Mental Health Conditions

PTSD gets significant attention, but other mental health conditions are frequently under-claimed or improperly rated. Military sexual trauma (MST) survivors may have PTSD or other mental health conditions related to MST that have never been filed. Depression and anxiety that developed during or after service are often not filed because veterans do not connect them to their service.

The VA has a relatively liberal standard for establishing service connection for mental health conditions. Stressors in service do not need to be combat-related in all cases. The nexus standard for mental health is the same as for physical conditions -- at least as likely as not.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea has become one of the most commonly rated VA disabilities in recent years, and for good reason. Many veterans developed sleep apnea related to service, whether through PTSD, weight gain secondary to a service-connected condition, or direct exposure to respiratory irritants.

The claim requires current diagnosis (a sleep study) and a nexus connecting the sleep apnea to service or to a service-connected condition. Veterans who were diagnosed with sleep apnea years after service can still establish service connection if the nexus can be supported.

Conditions Rated at 0%

A 0% rating means the VA acknowledged service connection but found the condition not severe enough to warrant compensation. These ratings matter for two reasons.

First, a 0% rated condition counts toward combined ratings and toward TDIU eligibility if it later increases. Second, a 0% rating means the condition is already service-connected, which makes it much easier to claim secondary conditions that develop from it later.

If you have 0% rated conditions that have worsened, file for an increase. The standard for going from 0% to compensable is that the condition now meets the criteria for the next rating level on the diagnostic code.

Conditions That Were Previously Denied

A prior denial is not permanent. You can refile for a denied condition at any time using the Supplemental Claim process if you have new and relevant evidence. Evidence that a condition is now presumptive counts as new and relevant. A new nexus letter from a doctor counts. Worsened symptoms documented in new medical records count.

Veterans who had conditions denied years ago, before the PACT Act expanded presumptive conditions, before the VA's Agent Orange presumptive list was expanded, or before regulations changed, may have strong grounds to refile.

The Overlooked Benefits of Filing Early

Because effective dates are tied to the filing date, filing earlier protects your potential retroactive benefits. If you file for a condition today that you have had since service, and the VA grants it, your back pay goes to today -- not to when the condition started.

Filing a claim even when you are unsure, even when the evidence feels thin, starts the clock. If you gather stronger evidence later and the claim is denied and then granted on appeal, your effective date is the original filing date, not the appeal date.

The cost of waiting is paid in retroactive benefits you will never recover.

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Bill Advantage is a document literacy tool. Nothing in this article constitutes legal or medical advice.