VA Disability for Hernia: Ratings, Service Connection, and Claims

The VA disability rating for a hernia ranges from 0 to 100 percent, and which scale applies depends on the type. Inguinal, femoral, umbilical, ventral, and incisional hernias are rated under Diagnostic Code 7338 based on whether the hernia is irreparable, its size in centimeters, and the pain it causes during specific activities. Hiatal and paraesophageal hernias are rated under DC 7346 using the esophageal stricture criteria of DC 7203, which focus on swallowing difficulty and the treatment required.

Ratings for Inguinal, Femoral, Ventral, and Other Abdominal Hernias

The current version of DC 7338 took effect on May 19, 2024. Ratings turn on three questions: is the hernia irreparable and has it been present for at least 12 months, how large is it in centimeters, and during how many specific activities does it cause pain? The listed activities are bending over, activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, hygiene, transfers), walking, and climbing stairs.

0 percent — asymptomatic, repairable, or already repaired.
10 percent — irreparable for 12+ months, smaller than 3 cm.
20 percent — irreparable for 12+ months, 3 cm to under 15 cm, pain during one listed activity.
30 percent — same size range, pain during at least two listed activities.
60 percent — irreparable, 15 cm or larger, pain during two listed activities.
100 percent — irreparable, 15 cm or larger, pain during at least three listed activities.

If you have two compensable inguinal hernias, the VA rates the more severe one first and adds 10 percent for the second, unless the first already warrants 100 percent.¹ Femoral hernias, once rated under their own DC 7340, now use the same criteria as inguinal hernias.

Older Ratings and the May 2024 Transition

Before May 2024, DC 7338 used language about whether the hernia was “readily reducible,” “well-supported by a truss or belt,” or “inoperable,” and postoperative ventral hernias had a separate scale under DC 7339 that ran from 0 to 100 percent based on size and support. If your claim was pending on May 19, 2024, the VA evaluates it under both the old and new criteria and applies whichever produces the more favorable result. Claims filed after that date use only the new criteria. Veterans already receiving compensation will not see ratings reduced simply because of the rule change; reduction requires evidence that the underlying condition actually improved.²

Ratings for Hiatal and Paraesophageal Hernia

Hiatal hernia sits under DC 7346, but the rating criteria come from DC 7203 for esophageal stricture. The scale focuses on dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and the level of medical intervention needed:

0 percent — documented history, no daily symptoms or daily medication.
10 percent — stricture requiring daily medication to control dysphagia, otherwise asymptomatic.
30 percent — recurrent stricture with dysphagia requiring dilatation no more than twice per year.
50 percent — recurrent or refractory stricture with dysphagia requiring dilatation three or more times per year, steroid-assisted dilatation at least once per year, or esophageal stent placement.
80 percent — recurrent or refractory stricture with dysphagia plus aspiration, undernutrition, or substantial weight loss, requiring surgical correction or a PEG tube.

Findings must be documented through barium swallow, CT scan, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A stricture is “recurrent” when the esophagus cannot maintain its target diameter beyond four weeks after treatment, and “refractory” when the target diameter cannot be achieved despite at least five dilatation sessions at two-week intervals.³

Before May 2024, DC 7346 had its own symptom-based scale topping out at 60 percent for pain, vomiting, weight loss, and hematemesis or melena with anemia. The same transition rule applies: pending claims are evaluated under whichever version helps you more.⁴

Proving Service Connection

A rating only follows once the hernia is tied to military service. There are two routes.

Direct Service Connection

A direct claim needs three things: a current diagnosis of the hernia, evidence of an in-service event, injury, or illness, and a medical nexus linking the two. Evidence can include service treatment records, post-service medical records, lay statements from fellow service members or family, and a nexus letter from a qualified medical professional. A useful nexus letter states that the hernia is at least as likely as not related to a specific in-service event, and explains how service activities such as heavy lifting, physical strain, or trauma could have caused or contributed to the condition.⁵

Hernias are not on the presumptive lists under the PACT Act, Gulf War illness provisions, or Agent Orange frameworks. You have to prove the connection.⁶

Secondary Service Connection

A hernia can also be claimed as secondary to a condition that is already service-connected, if that primary condition caused or aggravated the hernia. Under 38 CFR § 3.310, you need medical evidence of the primary condition, a current hernia diagnosis, and a medical opinion that the hernia was at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the primary disability.

Common pairings include chronic respiratory conditions like COPD or bronchitis (persistent coughing raises abdominal pressure), back and spinal conditions that weaken core muscles, peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injuries, and prior abdominal surgical scars that can lead to incisional hernias. In a January 2025 decision, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals granted secondary service connection for a left inguinal hernia caused by prostate cancer, based on the cancer’s disruption of supporting tissues.⁷

Filing the Claim

Hernia claims are filed on VA Form 21-526EZ, submitted online, by mail, in person at a regional office, or through an accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Organization. As of early 2026, the average processing time for a disability compensation claim is about 77 days.⁵

What Happens at the C&P Exam

The VA usually schedules a Compensation and Pension examination. For inguinal, femoral, ventral, umbilical, and incisional hernias, the examiner completes the Hernias Disability Benefits Questionnaire, which captures the diagnosis, surgical history, whether the hernia is repairable or irreparable, its size in centimeters, and whether pain occurs during bending, activities of daily living, walking, or climbing stairs. The examiner also notes how the condition affects your ability to work, setting aside the effects of age or non-service-connected conditions. No specific diagnostic testing is required, but imaging results should be included if you have them.⁸

Hiatal hernias use the separate Esophageal Conditions DBQ, which asks about dysphagia, heartburn, regurgitation, vomiting, weight loss, and anemia, and reviews results from endoscopy, barium swallow, or CT imaging.⁹ Your private provider can complete and submit the appropriate DBQ. Under the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025, the VA is implementing a digital portal for non-VA providers to submit these forms.¹⁰

Temporary 100 Percent After Surgery

Surgery for a service-connected hernia can qualify you for a temporary total convalescent rating under 38 CFR § 4.30. The surgery must require at least one month of recovery or produce severe postoperative residuals such as incompletely healed wounds, house confinement, or the need for a wheelchair or crutches. The temporary rating begins on the date of hospital admission or outpatient treatment and lasts one, two, or three months from the first day of the month after discharge. Extensions of up to three additional months are available, and in severe cases the Veterans Service Center Manager can approve further extensions of up to six months beyond the initial six-month period.¹¹ Once convalescence ends, the VA reassesses the condition and assigns a permanent schedular rating.

Separate Ratings for Scars and Complications

You can receive additional ratings for distinct residuals of a hernia or its surgical repair, as long as the symptoms being rated separately do not overlap with those already covered by the hernia rating. This is the line between the VA’s rule against rating the same symptoms twice and the recognition that separate symptomatology can support separate ratings.¹²

A surgical scar from hernia repair can be rated under DC 7804 if it is painful or unstable (frequent loss of skin covering). One or two painful or unstable scars receive 10 percent, with an additional 10 percent if a single scar is both painful and unstable.¹³ A scar that limits the function of the body part it covers can also be rated under DC 7805. Asymptomatic scars generally do not receive a compensable rating.¹⁴

Complications from hernia repair, including mesh-related issues, may qualify for separate ratings when supported by medical evidence. That can include bowel obstructions or adhesions (DC 7301), nerve entrapment or damage, chronic pain syndromes, gastrointestinal disorders, and sexual dysfunction. Mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety caused by chronic hernia pain or surgical complications may also be rated separately.

Recurrent Hernias and Rating Increases

If a hernia returns after repair, you can seek an increased rating. Under the current criteria, a recurrent hernia must be irreparable and present for at least 12 months to rate above 0 percent, and the rating then follows the same DC 7338 scale by size and functional impact. To support the increase, provide updated imaging showing the size, a medical opinion on whether it is repairable, and evidence of how it affects daily activities and work. File a claim for increased disability compensation rather than a supplemental claim when the condition itself has worsened since the last rating.¹⁵

TDIU When a Hernia Prevents Work

If a service-connected hernia keeps you from maintaining substantially gainful employment, you may qualify for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, which pays at the 100 percent rate regardless of your schedular rating. Schedular TDIU requires at least one disability rated 60 percent or higher, or a combined rating of 70 percent with at least one condition at 40 percent. If you fall short of those thresholds, your case can be referred for extraschedular TDIU consideration.

In a February 2025 decision, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals granted extraschedular TDIU to a veteran whose service-connected hernia prevented him from performing the physical demands of his occupation, including lifting objects over 50 to 60 pounds. The Board emphasized that TDIU is an individualized determination based on the veteran’s education, training, and work history, and does not require total unemployability across all possible jobs.¹⁶

If the Claim Is Denied

You have three options under the VA’s decision review system:¹⁷

Supplemental Claim — for cases with new and relevant evidence, such as a new medical opinion or additional treatment records. Average processing time in early 2026 is about 61 days.¹⁵
Higher-Level Review — a senior reviewer reexamines the existing record without new evidence.
Board of Veterans’ Appeals — a Veterans Law Judge reviews the case, with a hearing available on request.

Two practical points come out of recent Board decisions. Attend the scheduled C&P exam; when a veteran missed an exam because of a COVID-19 diagnosis, the Board found good cause and ordered it rescheduled, but missing an exam without documented good cause can sink a claim.¹⁸ And put your symptom history on the record in your own words. In a March 2025 remand, the Board ordered a new exam after finding the prior examiner had ignored the veteran’s testimony about persistent abdominal pain since service, noting that lay evidence is not incredible simply because it lacks contemporaneous medical records.¹⁹

1
Cornell Law Institute. 38 CFR § 4.114
2
VA News. VA Updates Disability Rating Schedule for Digestive System
3
eCFR. 38 CFR § 4.114 – Schedule of Ratings, Digestive System
4
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision 21074814
5
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. How to File a VA Disability Claim
6
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The PACT Act and Your VA Benefits
7
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision A25005001
8
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Hernias Disability Benefits Questionnaire
9
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Esophageal Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire
10
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Disability Benefits Questionnaires
11
Cornell Law Institute. 38 CFR § 4.30
12
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision 1523822
13
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision 1642720
14
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision 1645158
15
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Supplemental Claim
16
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision 25002692
17
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Decision Reviews and Appeals
18
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision A25020911
19
Board of Veterans’ Appeals. BVA Decision 25003930