Conditions / Cardiovascular
38 CFR 4.104, diagnostic code 7120 · checked 2026-10-20
VA rating for Varicose veins
VA rates Varicose veins under diagnostic code 7120 (Varicose veins (rated under the criteria of 7121, post-phlebitic syndrome)) at 6 levels from 0% to 100%. The lowest paid level, 10%, is worth $180.42 a month and the highest, 100%, $3,938.58 to a veteran alone at the rates effective December 1, 2025.
- 1Diagnostic code DC 7120
- 2Highest level 100% · $3,938.58
- 3Lowest paid level 10% · $180.42
Rating criteria for DC 7120
| Rating | What the schedule requires |
|---|---|
| 100% | Massive board-like edema with constant pain at rest. |
| 60% | Persistent edema or subcutaneous induration, stasis pigmentation or eczema, and persistent ulceration. |
| 40% | Persistent edema and stasis pigmentation or eczema, with or without intermittent ulceration. |
| 20% | Persistent edema, incompletely relieved by elevation of extremity, with or without beginning stasis pigmentation or eczema. |
| 10% | Intermittent edema of extremity, or aching and fatigue in leg after prolonged standing or walking, with symptoms relieved by elevation of extremity or compression hosiery. |
| 0% | Asymptomatic palpable or visible varicose veins. |
Summarized from eCFR, 38 CFR 4.104 Schedule of ratings, cardiovascular system, diagnostic code 7120, checked 2026-10-20. The regulation's own wording governs.
Notes in the schedule
- These ratings are for a single extremity. Each extremity is rated separately and combined under 38 CFR 4.25, using the bilateral factor of 4.26 when both legs are rated.
What each level pays
| Level | Alone | With spouse | With tinnitus 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | 100 → 100% |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | 64 → 60% |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | 46 → 50% |
| 20% | $356.66 | $356.66 | 28 → 30% |
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 | 19 → 20% |
| 0% | $0.00 | $0.00 | 10 → 10% |
3 of the 5 compensable levels are 30% or higher, where dependents raise the payment; below that the rate is flat. A 0% level means the condition is service connected but not compensable: it pays nothing by itself, yet it is on record if it worsens. The spread from the lowest paid level to the highest is $3,758.16 a month. The last column shows the combined rating if this condition is joined by a 10% tinnitus rating.
Both sides: the bilateral factor
Varicose veins affects a leg or foot, so when both sides are rated, 38 CFR 4.26 applies. Two ratings of 10% combine to 19; the bilateral factor adds 10% of that, giving 21, rated 20%. Other ratings on paired limbs join the same bilateral group; the bilateral factor guide shows how.
How this rating fits a claim
The top level, 100%, is at or above the 60% that 38 CFR 4.16(a) sets for a single disability to qualify for consideration of a total rating based on unemployability. A rating under DC 7120 is combined with every other rating by Table I, never added; the calculator shows the result with your other ratings and dependents.
The rating is set from the evidence at the time of the decision, usually including a VA examination. If the condition has worsened since, VA accepts a claim for an increase on VA Form 21-526EZ; see how to request an increase.
Related conditions
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) (DC 7101)
- Supraventricular arrhythmia (incl. AFib) (DC 7010)
- Tinnitus (DC 6260)
- Vertigo (peripheral vestibular disorder) (DC 6204)
- Meniere's disease (DC 6205)
Pay at the top level: 100% VA pay. At the lowest paid level: 10% VA pay.
Rating Ledger is not part of VA and does not file or decide claims. Amounts are VA's published monthly rates effective December 1, 2025 for a veteran, before any deduction or special monthly compensation; ratings follow 38 CFR 4.25 and 38 CFR 4.26 and 38 CFR 4.104, diagnostic code 7120. Last checked 2026-10-20. Only a VA rating decision sets a rating or a payment. See the methodology.