VA Combined Disability Rating Calculator

The VA uses a "whole person" theory rather than simple addition. The idea is that you start at 100% healthy, and each disability takes away a percentage of your remaining health — not of the original 100%.

Here is a concrete example with 50% and 30%:

1. You start at 100% healthy
2. Your 50% rating takes 50% of 100 = 50 percentage points. You are now 50% disabled, 50% remaining.
3. Your 30% rating applies to the remaining 50%: 30% of 50 = 15 percentage points
4. Total: 50 + 15 = 65%, which rounds to 70%

This is why veterans often say their math "doesn't add up." The VA always rounds to the nearest 10% for your final combined rating.

The bilateral factor applies when you have disabilities affecting both paired extremities — for example, both knees, both shoulders, or both arms. The VA recognizes that having both sides affected creates a greater overall disability than the combined math alone would suggest.

How it works:

1. The VA combines your bilateral conditions separately using standard VA math
2. 10% of that combined value is added as the bilateral factor
3. The adjusted bilateral value is then combined with your remaining (non-bilateral) conditions

Example: Right knee 30% + Left knee 20% combined = 44%. Bilateral factor adds 10% of 44 = 4.4%. Adjusted bilateral = 48.4%, which is then combined with any other conditions.

To use the bilateral factor in this calculator, check the "Bilateral" box next to each condition that affects a paired extremity.

Veterans with a combined disability rating of 30% or higher are eligible for additional monthly compensation for qualifying dependents, including:

• Spouse — including additional for Aid & Attendance if applicable
• Children under 18 — additional for each child (higher for children over 18 in school)
• Dependent parents — additional for each qualifying parent

The additional amounts increase with your rating level. For example, a veteran rated at 100% receives significantly more per dependent than one rated at 30%.

Veterans rated below 30% receive the base rate only with no dependent add-ons. See the VA compensation rate tables for complete details.