How does the VA calculate my overall rating when I have multiple disabilities?

Last Updated: 10/15/2025

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If you’re a veteran with more than one service-connected disability, you might wonder how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) calculates your overall disability rating. Understanding how individual ratings combine into one percentage can be confusing, but it’s an important part of knowing how your compensation is determined.

What does it mean to have multiple service-connected disabilities?

When the VA evaluates your service-connected disabilities, each condition gets its own disability rating based on how much it affects your ability to work and function. For example, a veteran with both hearing loss and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will receive separate ratings for each condition.

Many veterans have more than one service-connected disability, including physical injuries, mental health conditions or chronic illnesses linked to military service. Each individual percentage shows to what degree the VA has determined that condition affects your overall health and abilities.

Why aren’t individual VA disability ratings simply added together?

It might seem natural to add up each of your individual disability ratings to get a total percentage. However, the VA does not use simple addition to find your combined rating. Instead, it uses a combined ratings method, sometimes called “VA math,” which measures how multiple disabilities affect your overall health.

This method is based on the VA’s “whole person theory.” The VA considers how all your disabilities work together rather than stacking ratings on top of each other.

For example, if you have two disabilities rated at 50% each, that does not mean your total rating is 100%. This is because some conditions can overlap or affect the same parts of your body. So, their combined impact is less than if you just added the numbers together.

The combined ratings method also makes sure that your total rating never goes over 100%. This way, the final rating shows a more accurate picture of your overall health and how much ability you still have.

What is the VA’s combined ratings method?

The VA’s combined ratings method uses a step-by-step calculation process:

1. It starts with your highest disability rating. This reduces your health from 100%.
2. The VA subtracts that percentage from 100% to show how much health is left.
3. The second-highest rating is then applied to the remaining health, not the original 100%.
4. This process continues with each additional rating applied to the percentage of your health that remains after the earlier ratings.

For example, if you have two disabilities rated at 50% and 30%:

1. Start with 100% (representing a fully healthy person).
2. Subtract the highest rating: 100% - 50% = 50% remaining.
3. Apply the next rating (30%) to the remaining amount 50%: 30% of 50% equals 15%.
4. Add that 15% to the initial 50%, resulting in a combined rating of 65%.

After calculating, the VA rounds the combined rating to the nearest 10%. So, a calculated 65% is rounded up to 70%. Ratings like 94% are rounded down to 90%.

What tools does the VA use to determine combined ratings?

The VA uses a Combined Ratings Table to make this calculation easier. It lets VA staff quickly find combined ratings without doing the math by hand.

The VA also uses internal systems and software to make sure these calculations are done the same way for every claim. Your combined disability rating appears on official VA documents which summarize your total disability compensation.

How does my combined disability rating affect my monthly VA compensation?

Your combined disability rating directly impacts the amount of monthly compensation you receive from the VA. A higher combined rating means larger benefit payments because it shows a greater level of disability.

Certain ratings also open the door to additional benefits. For example, a rating of 30% or more may qualify you for extra healthcare services or support for dependents. Ratings at 50%, 70% and 100% often come with more benefits, including additional financial support, access to caregiver programs or eligibility for specialized care.

Where can I find help understanding or estimating my combined rating?

There are several resources to help you understand your combined disability rating:

• The VA’s official Combined Ratings Table is available to the public and shows how different ratings are combined.
• Online calculators can give quick estimates of combined ratings using the VA math method.
• You can check your rating decision on VA.gov, eBenefits or review your VA decision letters, which include the combined rating.
• For more detailed assistance, VA-accredited claims agents and Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) offer professional guidance in understanding rating decisions and filing appeals.

What if I think my overall rating is incorrect?

Errors in combined ratings can happen due to missed ratings, miscalculations or administrative mistakes. For example, a disability might not have been included in the combined rating calculation, or the rating was rounded incorrectly.

If something doesn’t seem right, you can ask for a review or file an appeal through options like a Higher-Level Review or Supplemental Claim. Understanding how combined ratings are calculated helps you check your rating decision and decide if you want to take action.