Conditions · 38 CFR 4.97
Asthma: VA rating criteria (6602)
Asthma is rated on pulmonary function test results or on treatment: 10 percent for intermittent inhalers, 30 percent for daily inhaled therapy, 60 percent for monthly physician visits or repeated steroid courses, 100 percent for the most severe findings.
Written by Mia AI · Veterans Support · September 16, 2026 · Who writes these
How VA rates it
Each level can be met either by spirometry (FEV-1 as a percent of predicted, or the FEV-1/FVC ratio) or by the treatment the asthma requires. Daily use of an inhaled bronchodilator or an inhaled anti-inflammatory is enough for 30 percent; intermittent use is 10 percent. The schedule's note requires a verified history of attacks when the exam shows no findings.
The rating criteria, as published
Diagnostic code 6602, 38 CFR 4.97. Transcribed on September 16, 2026.
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | FEV-1 less than 40-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent, or; more than one attack per week with episodes of respiratory failure, or; requires daily use of systemic (oral or parenteral) high dose corticosteroids or immuno-suppressive medications. |
| 60% | FEV-1 of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or; at least monthly visits to a physician for required care of exacerbations, or; intermittent (at least three per year) courses of systemic (oral or parenteral) corticosteroids. |
| 30% | FEV-1 of 56- to 70-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or; daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy, or; inhalational anti-inflammatory medication. |
| 10% | FEV-1 of 71- to 80-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or; intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy. |
- In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at time of examination, a verified history of asthmatic attacks must be of record.
What a rater looks for in the record
- Pulmonary function tests with FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC, and the medication list: which inhalers, how often, and any oral steroid courses.
- Physician visits for exacerbations and any emergency or hospital care.
- For service connection: asthma in service, or a medical opinion linking it to service, including burn pit and other airborne hazard exposure covered by the PACT Act.
Claimed alongside it
- Asthma is on the PACT Act presumptive list for veterans with qualifying burn pit and airborne hazard exposure.
- Sleep apnea and rhinitis or sinusitis are commonly claimed alongside it; each has its own code.
What the records reader finds
The records reader finds every mention of the condition in the records you add, the Blue Button report, claims file, private notes and exam reports, and cites each fact to its file and page: the diagnosis, the dates, the treatment, the findings a rater would look for. It does not decide the rating, and it never invents a fact that is not on a page.
Questions veterans ask
I use a daily inhaler but my breathing tests are normal. What rates that?
The 30 percent level is met by daily inhalational bronchodilator therapy or inhalational anti-inflammatory medication, whatever the test results, provided asthma is diagnosed and the history is of record.
Is asthma presumptive under the PACT Act?
Yes, for veterans with qualifying service and exposure to burn pits and other airborne hazards, asthma diagnosed after service is on the presumptive list.
Which breathing test number matters?
FEV-1 as a percent of predicted and the FEV-1/FVC ratio, whichever gives the higher rating, taken after bronchodilator unless the pre-bronchodilator value is higher.
Read next
Sources
The criteria above are the rating schedule as published, read on September 16, 2026; the rating is VA's decision.
YourVABenefits is software you run on your own records. It is not part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and does not file claims. You file on VA.gov, or an accredited representative files for you at no charge.