VASRD 7015 · Cardiovascular
Atrioventricular Block VA Disability Rating
Atrioventricular block is a delay or interruption in the electrical signal travelling from the heart's upper chambers to its lower chambers. The schedule splits the code in two by degree of block. First-degree and second-degree Type I block are treated as benign and evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart, so the percentage turns on the exertion your heart tolerates before heart failure symptoms appear. Second-degree Type II and third-degree block are treated as non-benign and evaluated under DC 7018, the code for implantable cardiac pacemakers.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | For benign block, heart failure symptoms at 3.0 METs or less. For non-benign block, a total rating runs for one month after hospital discharge for a pacemaker implantation or re-implantation. |
| 60% | Heart failure symptoms appear at a workload between 3.1 and 5.0 METs. |
| 30% | Heart failure symptoms appear at a workload between 5.1 and 7.0 METs, or imaging confirms the heart is thickened or enlarged — either one on its own is enough. |
| 10% | Heart failure symptoms between 7.1 and 10.0 METs, or continuous medication is required. After a pacemaker, 10 percent is the floor once the first month ends. |
How the VA Evaluates Atrioventricular Block
Which half of DC 7015 applies depends entirely on how the block is classified. For benign block — first-degree and second-degree Type I — the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart governs, stated in METs (metabolic equivalents, a measure of exertion): 100 percent where a workload of 3.0 METs or less results in heart failure symptoms, 60 percent at 3.1-5.0 METs, 30 percent at 5.1-7.0 METs or where an echocardiogram or equivalent study (for example, a multigated acquisition scan or MRI) shows cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation, and 10 percent at 7.1-10.0 METs or where continuous medication is required for control. For non-benign block — second-degree Type II and third-degree — the evaluation runs through DC 7018 instead: 100 percent for one month following hospital discharge for implantation or re-implantation of a pacemaker, and thereafter an evaluation as supraventricular tachycardia (DC 7010), ventricular arrhythmias (DC 7011), or atrioventricular block (DC 7015), with 10 percent as the minimum. Across DCs 7009, 7010, 7011, and 7015 the schedule assigns a single evaluation, under whichever code reflects the predominant disability picture.
Veterans service-connected
~400 veterans
Typical rating awarded
~30%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule — not official VA statistics.
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Best Evidence to Gather
- •EKG tracings identifying the degree and type of block, since the benign / non-benign split is drawn on exactly that classification.
- •Exercise testing recording the METs workload at which heart failure symptoms appear, where the block is benign and rated under the General Rating Formula.
- •An echocardiogram, multigated acquisition scan, or MRI stating whether cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation is present.
- •Pacemaker implantation or re-implantation records including the hospital discharge date, where a pacemaker is involved.
Strategy Tips
- •Make sure the record states the degree and type of block — first-degree, second-degree Type I, second-degree Type II, or third-degree — since that classification alone decides whether the General Rating Formula or DC 7018 governs.
- •For benign block, a recorded METs workload is what the General Rating Formula's tiers are written around, and it is the only route the formula gives to its 100 and 60 percent tiers.
- •If a pacemaker was implanted or re-implanted, keep the hospital discharge date, since DC 7018's 100 percent period runs for one month from discharge and 10 percent is the minimum after it.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •An exam that records 'AV block' without the degree and type, leaving it unresolved whether the General Rating Formula or DC 7018 applies.
- •No METs figure in an exam for benign block, which leaves the 100 and 60 percent tiers of the General Rating Formula — the two with no alternative to a METs finding — with nothing to measure against.
- •A pacemaker noted without the hospital discharge date, which is the date DC 7018's one-month period runs from.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Filing on symptoms alone, with nothing in the file that classifies the block, when the degree and type is what routes the claim to one half of the code or the other.
- •Filing this alongside DCs 7009, 7010, or 7011 expecting each to be evaluated separately, when the schedule assigns a single evaluation under whichever code reflects the predominant disability picture.
- •Submitting only the records from the original diagnosis, with nothing showing the block's current degree or current exertional capacity.
Onset Patterns
- •What matters in this code is classification rather than onset: a block that progresses from first-degree or second-degree Type I to second-degree Type II or third-degree moves out of the General Rating Formula and onto DC 7018's pacemaker path, so the testing that documents the change in classification is what carries it.
- •Because a single evaluation is assigned across DCs 7009, 7010, 7011, and 7015, a conduction block appearing alongside a rhythm disorder does not add a second evaluation — it changes which code reflects the predominant disability picture.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Atrioventricular Block. Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Common questions about Atrioventricular Block
- Is Atrioventricular Block a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Atrioventricular Block under VASRD diagnostic code 7015 (Cardiovascular). Atrioventricular block is a delay or interruption in the electrical signal travelling from the heart's upper chambers to its lower chambers. The schedule splits the code in two by degree of block. First-degree and second-degree…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Atrioventricular Block?
- Possible VA ratings for Atrioventricular Block are 100%, 60%, 30%, 10%. Examples: 100%: For benign block, heart failure symptoms at 3.0 METs or less. For non-benign block, a total rating runs for one month after hospital discharge for a pacemaker implantation or re-implantation.; 60%: Heart failure symptoms appear at…
- What's the typical VA rating awarded for Atrioventricular Block?
- Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Atrioventricular Block at around 30%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 400 veterans are service-connected for Atrioventricular Block.
- What evidence helps prove Atrioventricular Block for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Atrioventricular Block claim includes: EKG tracings identifying the degree and type of block, since the benign / non-benign split is drawn on exactly that classification.; Exercise testing recording the METs workload at which heart failure symptoms appear, where the block is benign and rated unde…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Atrioventricular Block?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Atrioventricular Block: Filing on symptoms alone, with nothing in the file that classifies the block, when the degree and type is what routes the claim to one half of the code or the other.; Filing this alongside DCs 7009, 7010, or 7011 expecting each to be evaluated separately, when th…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Atrioventricular Block?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Atrioventricular Block include: Fatigue, Dizziness. Filing for secondary conditions can increase a veteran's combined VA rating.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.104 — Schedule of ratings — cardiovascular system (Diagnostic Code 7015)
Rating criteria on this page are an educational summary of the cited regulation — the eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
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