YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Bronchiectasis VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Bronchiectasis under diagnostic code 6601, in 38 CFR § 4.97 (respiratory system), and the schedule provides four evaluation levels for it: 100%, 60%, 30% and 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Bronchiectasis
A condition where airways in the lungs become permanently widened, leading to mucus buildup and infections.
The rating counts incapacitating episodes of infection by their total duration each year, and an incapacitating episode is one that requires bedrest and treatment by a physician: 10% for intermittent productive cough with acute infection requiring a course of antibiotics at least twice a year; 30% for two to four weeks a year, or a daily productive cough with sputum that is at times purulent or blood-tinged and that requires prolonged (four to six weeks) antibiotic usage more than twice a year; 60% for four to six weeks a year, or near constant cough with purulent sputum associated with anorexia, weight loss, and frank hemoptysis, requiring antibiotics almost continuously; and 100% for at least six weeks a year. The code may instead be rated according to pulmonary impairment, as for chronic bronchitis (DC 6600). CT imaging and pulmonary function tests document it.
- Diagnostic code
- 6601
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.97
- Schedule levels
- 100%, 60%, 30% and 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Bronchiectasis VA rating criteria (DC 6601)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Bronchiectasis
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note: An incapacitating episode is one that requires bedrest and treatment by a physician.”DC 6601
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Bronchiectasis claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Bronchiectasis?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Bronchiectasis claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim2 tips
- 01
Document every infection, how long it kept you in bed under a physician's treatment, and the antibiotics used, since the 30, 60 and 100 percent tiers count weeks of incapacitation per year.
- 02
Get a current CT scan and pulmonary function test (PFT) before filing, since these are the specific diagnostic evidence this rating depends on.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
No imaging confirming the diagnosis.
- 02
Overlapping symptoms with COPD that aren't clearly distinguished in the record.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Not recording how long each incapacitating infection lasted, which is what the rating tiers count.
- 02
Failure to show a long-term treatment history.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Bronchiectasis often starts after a severe lung infection or pneumonia, and can worsen over time if the underlying airway damage isn't managed.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Bronchiectasis
More by branch: Army · Marines · Air Force · Navy · Coast Guard
THE BROADER PICTURE
Bronchiectasis by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – if imaging and infection history are well documented.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~1,700 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.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Bronchiectasis
Is Bronchiectasis a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Bronchiectasis under VASRD diagnostic code 6601 (Respiratory System). A condition where airways in the lungs become permanently widened, leading to mucus buildup and infections.
What VA disability rating can I get for Bronchiectasis?
Possible VA ratings for Bronchiectasis are 100%, 60%, 30%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 100%: With incapacitating episodes of infection of at least six weeks total duration per year; or, rated according to pulmonary impairment as for chronic bronchitis (DC 6600): FEV-1 less than 40 percent of predicted value, or; the ratio of Forced Expiratory Volume in one second to Forced Vital Capacity (FEV-1/FVC) less than 40 percent, or; Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) less than 40-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption (with cardiac or respiratory limitation), or; cor pulmonale (right heart failure), or; right ventricular hypertrophy, or; pulmonary hypertension (shown by Echo or cardiac catheterization), or; episode(s) of acute respiratory failure, or; requires outpatient oxygen therapy; 60%: With incapacitating episodes of infection of four to six weeks total duration per year, or; near constant findings of cough with purulent sputum associated with anorexia, weight loss, and frank hemoptysis and requiring antibiotic usage almost continuously; or, rated according to pulmonary impairment as for chronic bronchitis (DC 6600): FEV-1 of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or; DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; maximum oxygen consumption of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min (with cardiorespiratory limit); 30%: With incapacitating episodes of infection of two to four weeks total duration per year, or; daily productive cough with sputum that is at times purulent or blood-tinged and that requires prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic usage more than twice a year; or, rated according to pulmonary impairment as for chronic bronchitis (DC 6600): FEV-1 of 56- to 70-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or; DLCO (SB) 56- to 65-percent predicted.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Bronchiectasis?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Bronchiectasis at around 30%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,700 veterans are service-connected for Bronchiectasis. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – if imaging and infection history are well documented.
What evidence helps prove Bronchiectasis for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Bronchiectasis claim includes: A CT scan showing bronchial dilation, the imaging finding that confirms the diagnosis; Pulmonary function test (PFT) results; A documented history of antibiotic treatment for lung infections.
Which DBQ is used for Bronchiectasis?
VA's Respiratory Conditions (other than tuberculosis and sleep apnea) Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Bronchiectasis?
Common pitfalls when filing for Bronchiectasis: Not recording how long each incapacitating infection lasted, which is what the rating tiers count; Failure to show a long-term treatment history.
What conditions can be secondary to Bronchiectasis?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Bronchiectasis, when a medical opinion links them, include: Chronic Sinusitis. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.97, Schedule of ratings, respiratory system (Diagnostic Code 6601)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
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