Getting Veterans (VA) Disability for Artery & Vein Conditions

Did you serve in the military and develop any of the following artery or vein conditions during or after your service?

• Aneurysm
• Arterial, nerve, or vein damage from exposure to cold
• Blood flow obstruction
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Traumatic arteriovenous fistula
• Any other artery or vein condition

If so, you could be eligible to receive monthly VA disability compensation for artery and vein conditions for the rest of your life, along with many other veterans’ benefits such as health care.

To obtain these benefits, you must establish a link between your military service and your medical condition.

Establishing this connection can be difficult and denials are common. If the VA denied your application for disability benefits, the team at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD can help you appeal the denial and win your benefits. Give us a call today: 800-544-9144.

What Is Service Connection?

To be eligible for VA disability benefits, you must be able to establish something called “service connection.” Establishing service connection simply means you need to prove there is a link, or nexus, between your artery or vein condition and an event, illness, or injury that occurred during your service.

How Do I Prove Service Connection for My Artery or Vein Condition?

First, we need to determine whether the VA presumes service connection for your condition.
Per 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a), the VA presumes service connection for a few different chronic vein and artery conditions:

• Hypertension
• Arteriosclerosis
• Raynaud’s disease

This regulation states that if you receive a chronic disease diagnosis within one year of your separation from service, the VA must presume service connection.

If the VA presumes service connection, we do not need to prove anything. We only need to submit your medical and service records.

If the VA does not presume service connection, we must establish it ourselves.

We can review your military service record and your medical history to determine the best plan of action for your case to ensure the highest chance of winning your appeal.

We might look into an any stressful situations you were placed in during your deployments as certain artery and vein conditions, such as an aneurysm can result from stress. If we were attempting to connect a hardening of your arteries, we might examine your diet during service. Poor nutrition can lead to a hardening of the arteries.

We may also discuss your case with a medical expert to obtain testimony about how your service caused or contributed to your condition.

How Much Will I Receive Each Month for My Vein and Artery Conditions?

Your disability rating determines how much you will receive each month for your medical condition. The VA assigns a disability rating between 0 and 100 percent, in increments of 10. The higher your rating, the higher your monthly benefit.

Per § 4.104-10: Diseases of the Arteries and Veins, the rating schedules for a few common artery and vein conditions are as follows:

Hypertension (high blood pressure) (Code 7101)

If your condition is service-connected, you qualify for a compensable rating if your systolic pressure (top number) is above 160 and/or your diastolic pressure (bottom number) is above 100.

• If your diastolic pressure is 130 or more: 60 percent rating
• If your diastolic pressure is 120 or more: 40 percent rating
• If your diastolic pressure is 110 or more or if your systolic pressure is 200 or more: 20 percent rating
• If your diastolic pressure is 100 or more or if your systolic pressure is 160 or more or if you have a history of diastolic pressure of 100 or more and require continuous medication for control: 10 percent rating

Aneurysm

Aortic aneurysm (Code 7110):

• If five inches or larger in diameter or if you are symptomatic or if you needed surgical correction: 100 percent rating
• If it prevents exertion: 60 percent rating

Large artery aneurysm (Code 7111):

• If you are symptomatic or if you needed surgical correction: 100 percent rating
• Following surgery:
  • Including ischemic limb pain while at rest with “either deep ischemic ulcers or ankle/brachial index of 0.4 or less”: 100 percent
  • Claudication (i.e., pain due to lack of blood flow) after walking less than 25 yards on level ground at less than two miles per hour and “persistent coldness of the extremity, one or more deep ischemic ulcers, or ankle/brachial index of 0.5 or less”: 60 percent
  • Claudication after walking between 25 and 100 yards on level ground, and trophic charges or ankle/brachial index of 0.7 or less: 40 percent
  • Claudication after walking more than 100 yards and “diminished peripheral impulses or ankle/brachial index of 0.9 or less”: 20 percent

Traumatic Arteriovenous Fistula (Code 7113)

• “With high output heart failure”: 100 percent rating
• No heart failure, but including enlarged heart, wide pulse pressure, and tachycardia: 60 percent rating
• No cardiac involvement, but including edema, stasis dermatitis, and either ulceration or cellulitis:

Lower extremity: 50 percent rating
Upper extremity: 40 percent rating

• With edema of stasis dermatitis:

Lower extremity: 30 percent rating
Upper extremity: 20 percent rating

Blood Flow Block or Restriction

Arteriosclerosis obliterans (Code 7114):

• Ischemic limb pain while at rest with either deep ischemic ulcers or ankle/brachial index of 0.4 or less”: 100 percent rating
• Claudication (i.e., pain due to lack of blood flow) after walking less than 25 yards on level ground at less than two miles per hour and “persistent coldness of the extremity, one or more deep ischemic ulcers, or ankle/brachial index of 0.5 or less”: 60 percent rating
• Claudication after walking between 25 and 100 yards on level ground, and trophic charges or ankle/brachial index of 0.7 or less: 40 percent rating
• Claudication after walking more than 100 yards and “diminished peripheral impulses or ankle/brachial index of 0.9 or less”: 20 percent rating

Buerger’s disease (Code 7115):

• Ischemic limb pain while at rest with either deep ischemic ulcers or ankle/brachial index of 0.4 or less”: 100 percent rating
• Claudication (i.e., pain due to lack of blood flow) after walking less than 25 yards on level ground at less than two miles per hour and “persistent coldness of the extremity, one or more deep ischemic ulcers, or ankle/brachial index of 0.5 or less”: 60 percent rating
• Claudication after walking between 25 and 100 yards on level ground, and trophic charges or ankle/brachial index of 0.7 or less: 40 percent rating
• Claudication after walking more than 100 yards and “diminished peripheral impulses or ankle/brachial index of 0.9 or less”: 20 percent rating

Raynaud’s Disease (Code 7117)

• With at least two digital ulcers and autoamputation of at least one digit and a history of characteristic attacks: 100 percent rating
• At least two digital ulcers and a history of characteristic attacks: 60 percent rating
• At least one characteristic attack daily: 40 percent rating
• Four to six characteristic attacks a week: 20 percent rating
• One to three characteristic attacks a week: 10 percent rating

Overexposure to Cold

(Code 7122)

• Joint pain, numbness, or sensitivity to cold with at least two of the following: tissue loss, nail abnormalities, color changes, locally impaired sensation, hyperhidrosis, or X-ray abnormalities: 30 percent rating
• Joint pain, numbness, or sensitivity to cold with tissue loss, nail abnormalities, color changes, locally impaired sensation, hyperhidrosis, or X-ray abnormalities: 20 percent rating
• Joint pain, numbness, or sensitivity to cold: 10 percent rating

As of December 1st, 2023 the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows:

• 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month
• 10 percent disability rating: $171.23 per month
• 20 percent disability rating: $338.49 per month
• 30 percent disability rating: $524.31 per month
• 40 percent disability rating: $755.28 per month
• 50 percent disability rating: $1,075.16 per month
• 60 percent disability rating: $1,361.88 per month
• 70 percent disability rating: $1,716.28 per month
• 80 percent disability rating: $1,995.01 per month
• 90 percent disability rating: $2,241.91 per month
• 100 percent disability rating: $3,737.85 per month

Note: A 30 percent or higher rating can earn you additional compensation if you have dependents (e.g., a spouse, children, or dependent parents) living in your household.

Ready to Get Started? Call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD at 401-331-6300.

You may be entitled to VA disability benefits if you developed an artery or vein condition after your military service. Unfortunately, proving you deserve benefits is difficult and a simple mistake can result in a denial. If the VA denied your disability claim, the veterans advocates at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD can help. Call us today to discuss your case: 800-544-9144.