VA Secondary Conditions Finder

A secondary condition is a disability that was caused or made worse by an existing service-connected condition. Even if it did not begin during service, it can be service-connected because it flows from a condition that already is.

Yes. If you can show that a service-connected condition caused or aggravated another condition, the VA can rate that secondary condition and combine it into your overall rating — often raising it.

Common links include sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, depression secondary to chronic pain, radiculopathy (nerve pain) secondary to a back condition, and GERD secondary to medications taken for a service-connected condition.

You generally need a current diagnosis of the secondary condition and a medical nexus — a doctor's opinion linking it to your service-connected condition. That nexus opinion is usually the deciding factor.

Each secondary condition receives its own rating and is combined with your existing ratings using VA math, which can push your combined rating higher — sometimes into the next 10% bracket.