Your disability rating determines whether you receive a lifetime of retirement benefits or a one-time severance check. Here is how ratings are calculated and what you can do to ensure yours is accurate.
How Military Disability Ratings Are Determined — and How to Fight for the Right One
Your military disability rating is one of the most consequential numbers in your life. It determines whether you receive a lifetime of monthly retirement pay, healthcare coverage, and other benefits — or a one-time severance check and a goodbye. Yet most service members going through the MEB/PEB process have little understanding of how that number is calculated.
That needs to change. Here is a plain-language explanation of how disability ratings work, how combined ratings are calculated, and — most importantly — what you can do to fight for the rating you deserve.
The Rating Scale
Military disability ratings are assigned on a percentage scale: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. The rating reflects the severity of your condition and its impact on your ability to work.
The critical threshold is 30%. If your combined disability rating is 30% or higher (or you have 20 or more years of qualifying service), you are entitled to disability retirement — a lifetime of monthly retirement pay and benefits. Below 30%, you receive only disability severance pay, which is a one-time lump sum with no ongoing benefits.
The VASRD: The Rating Bible
The Physical Evaluation Board assigns ratings using the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD), the same schedule used by the VA to rate veterans' conditions. Each condition has a diagnostic code with specific criteria for each rating level.
For example, a knee condition might be rated at:
- 0%: Slight limitation of motion
- 10%: Moderate limitation of motion
- 20%: Moderately severe limitation of motion
- 30%: Severe limitation of motion
The key is that the rating must accurately reflect the current severity of your condition — not how it was when you were first injured, and not how it might be in the future.
How Combined Ratings Work
If you have multiple conditions, the PEB does not simply add your ratings together. Instead, it uses a "whole person" formula that can produce counterintuitive results.
Here is how it works:
- Start with 100% (a whole person)
- Apply the highest rating first: if your highest rating is 40%, you are now 60% "remaining"
- Apply the next rating to the remaining percentage: a 20% rating applied to 60% = 12%
- Your combined rating is 40% + 12% = 52%, which rounds to 50%
This formula means that having multiple conditions does not necessarily result in a proportionally higher combined rating. It also means that the order in which conditions are rated can affect your final combined rating.
Common Rating Mistakes — and How to Catch Them
In my experience representing service members for over 25 years, I have seen the same rating mistakes made repeatedly. Here are the most common ones:
1. Conditions Left Off the List
The MEB is only required to evaluate conditions that are "unfitting" — meaning they prevent you from performing your military duties. But you have the right to request that additional conditions be evaluated, even if the MEB does not consider them unfitting. Every condition that is properly rated can increase your combined rating.
2. Ratings That Don't Reflect Severity
The NARSUM and medical records must accurately document the severity of your condition. If your physician's notes understate your symptoms — or if you have been stoic about your pain and limitations — your rating may not reflect reality. Gather all of your medical records, including civilian treatment records, and make sure the full picture is documented.
3. Failure to Apply the VASRD Correctly
The VASRD is complex, and the PEB does not always apply it correctly. An experienced attorney knows the diagnostic codes, the rating criteria, and the regulatory interpretations that can make the difference between a 20% and a 30% rating.
4. Ignoring Secondary Conditions
Many service members have secondary conditions — conditions caused or aggravated by their primary unfitting condition. For example, a back injury may cause secondary depression or sleep disorders. These secondary conditions can and should be rated, but they are often overlooked.
What You Can Do
Document everything. Keep records of every medical appointment, every symptom, and every limitation. The more thoroughly your condition is documented, the harder it is for the PEB to underrate it.
Get an independent medical opinion. If you believe your condition is more severe than the military's evaluation reflects, consider obtaining an independent medical examination from a civilian physician who can provide an objective assessment.
Rebut the NARSUM. If the MEB Narrative Summary does not accurately reflect your condition, you have the right to submit a rebuttal with supporting medical evidence.
Demand a Formal PEB. If the Informal PEB issues an unfavorable rating, do not simply accept it. Demand a Formal PEB and bring an experienced attorney to represent you.
Consult an attorney early. The earlier you involve an experienced military disability attorney, the more opportunities there are to build a strong record and protect your rating.
The Stakes Are Too High to Go It Alone
The financial difference between a 20% rating and a 30% rating can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. Your disability rating is not just a number — it is your future.
For more on how to protect your rating at each stage, see our guides on MEB rebuttals, what happens at a Formal PEB hearing, and VA ratings vs. military disability ratings. If you are a retiree weighing your compensation options, our post on CRSC vs. CRDP explains how your rating affects your long-term pay.
Contact John B. Gately today for a free consultation. With over 25 years of experience in military disability law, he knows how the system works — and how to work the system on your behalf.
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John B. Gately, Attorney & Counselor at Law
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