VA rating for asthma: the 2026 breathing-test numbers
Asthma is one of the few conditions where a veteran can walk out of a C&P exam feeling like it went badly and end up with a higher rating than expected, or the exact reverse. The reason is that two completely different things can decide it, and most people only know about one.
The two routes, and the second one is the surprise
Asthma is rated under Diagnostic Code 6602 at 38 CFR 4.97. The schedule offers a test-based route and a medication-based route, and whichever produces the higher rating is the one that applies.
| Rating | Breathing test | Or medication |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | FEV-1 71 to 80% predicted, or FEV-1/FVC 71 to 80% | Intermittent inhaler or oral bronchodilator |
| 30% | FEV-1 56 to 70%, or FEV-1/FVC 56 to 70% | Daily inhaler, or inhaled anti-inflammatory medication |
| 60% | FEV-1 40 to 55%, or FEV-1/FVC 40 to 55% | Monthly visits for exacerbations, or three or more courses of systemic steroids in a year |
| 100% | FEV-1 under 40%, or FEV-1/FVC under 40% | More than one attack a week with respiratory failure, or daily high-dose steroids or immunosuppressives |
Read the right-hand column again. Daily inhaler use is 30 percent. Not 10 percent, and not conditional on a poor test result.
That is the single most valuable line in this code, and it is the one most commonly left on the table, because a veteran whose asthma is well managed assumes well managed means not compensable. Under DC 6602 the medication requirement is itself the disability.
The rule that decides which test number counts
Pulmonary function tests are run twice: once as you are, and once after you have taken a bronchodilator during the test.
Under 38 CFR 4.96, the VA uses the post-bronchodilator result, which is normally the better of the two. There are two exceptions: if the post-bronchodilator reading is poorer than the pre-bronchodilator one, the pre-bronchodilator result is used, and where the results disagree the examiner states which is the more accurate reflection.
This matters because it explains a decision that otherwise looks wrong. A veteran sees a bad first number on their own copy of the test, then reads a rating based on the better second number and assumes something was missed. Nothing was.
What the exam measures
- A pulmonary function test, if there is not a recent one already. This is the whole test-based route.
- What you are prescribed, and how often you use it. Daily versus intermittent is a 20 percentage point difference on its own.
- How many exacerbations you have had in the past year, and whether they needed a doctor.
- Courses of systemic steroids in the past year. Three or more is the 60 percent route.
- What triggers it, which bears on service connection rather than on the percentage.
Where asthma records come up short
- No pulmonary function test in the file. A diagnosis alone can support service connection with nothing to attach a percentage to. This is the most common reason an asthma claim reads 0 percent.
- Medication use recorded as "as needed". The wording sits between the intermittent and daily routes, and the notes rarely say which it is in practice.
- Steroid courses never counted. Three or more in a year is a 60 percent route, and prednisone courses tend to be scattered across notes rather than totalled anywhere.
- A test taken on a good day. One reading is a snapshot of a condition that varies by season and trigger.
- Exposure never named. Burn pits, airborne hazards, dust and fumes during service are what a presumptive or direct route is built on. Presumptive conditions covers how those work, and the PACT Act list covers the airborne hazard routes specifically.
If the numbers are good and the inhaler is daily
That is not a contradiction, it is the design of the code. Two routes exist precisely because a well-controlled respiratory condition can look fine on a test and still require medication every day to stay that way.
The asthma condition page holds the full criteria and the evidence checklist, and the combined rating calculator shows what a 30 percent adds to what you already have, which is usually less than people expect because of how VA math works.
Bottom line
Two routes, and the higher one wins. Get a pulmonary function test into the file, and make sure the record says plainly whether the inhaler is daily or intermittent, because that one word is worth 20 percentage points.
Our free scan reads your conditions and flags the evidence each one needs before you file. About 11 minutes: start the free scan.
Sources: 38 CFR 4.97 - Diagnostic Code 6602, bronchial asthma, 38 CFR 4.96 - special provisions for respiratory ratings, VA.gov - PACT Act and airborne hazards.
Quick questions
What is the VA rating for asthma?
Asthma is rated 10, 30, 60 or 100 percent under Diagnostic Code 6602 at 38 CFR 4.97. The percentage comes from either a breathing test result or your medication requirement, whichever supports the higher rating. FEV-1 of 71 to 80 percent predicted is 10 percent, 56 to 70 is 30 percent, and 40 to 55 is 60 percent.
Can I get an asthma rating without a bad breathing test?
Yes, and this is the route most veterans do not know about. Daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy reaches 30 percent on its own, whatever the test numbers say. Intermittent use reaches 10 percent. A veteran whose asthma is well controlled by a daily inhaler can have normal-looking numbers and still meet the 30 percent criteria on medication alone.
Which breathing test number does the VA use?
FEV-1 as a percentage of predicted, or the FEV-1 to FVC ratio. FEV-1 is how much air you can force out in one second. The VA uses the post-bronchodilator result, meaning the reading taken after you use an inhaler during the test, unless the post-bronchodilator result is worse than the pre-bronchodilator one.
Why did my asthma rating come back at 0 percent?
Usually because the file has a diagnosis but no pulmonary function test and no documented medication requirement. Service connection can be granted on the diagnosis alone while the percentage has nothing to attach to. A breathing test on record and a prescription history are what give the code something to read.
Does asthma count if it started after service?
It can, through two routes. Direct service connection needs in-service treatment or a documented onset. Secondary service connection covers asthma caused or worsened by an already service-connected condition, and there are also presumptive routes tied to burn pit and airborne hazard exposure under the PACT Act.
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Lima Charlie is an educational tool - not a law firm, VSO, or VA-accredited representative, and nothing here is legal or medical advice. Only the VA decides ratings; no outcome is ever guaranteed. Free help is available from accredited VSOs at VA.gov.