YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) under diagnostic code 7206, in 38 CFR § 4.114 (digestive system), and the schedule provides five evaluation levels for it: 80%, 50%, 30%, 10% and 0%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Prepare for your examTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
GERD is stomach acid and stomach contents flowing back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn, regurgitation and chest discomfort. DC 7206 has its own criteria table, and what that table measures is not how often heartburn occurs — every step is written around a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and the treatment that stricture requires. Note (1) requires the findings to be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
DC 7206 is not rated by analogy to hiatal hernia. It carries its own five-step table in § 4.114, and DC 7346 — hiatal hernia and paraesophageal hernia — carries no criteria at all; that entry reads "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)." Every step under 7206 is keyed to documented esophageal stricture and what it takes to treat it: 0 percent for a documented history without daily symptoms or requirement for daily medications; 10 percent where stricture requires daily medications to control dysphagia and is otherwise asymptomatic; 30 percent for recurrent stricture causing dysphagia requiring dilatation no more than 2 times per year; 50 percent for recurrent or refractory stricture requiring dilatation 3 or more times per year, dilatation using steroids at least one time per year, or esophageal stent placement; and 80 percent for recurrent or refractory stricture causing dysphagia with aspiration, undernutrition, and/or substantial weight loss as defined by § 4.112(a), together with either surgical correction of the stricture(s) or a percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube (PEG tube). Two definitions decide which row applies. Note (4): recurrent stricture is "the inability to maintain target esophageal diameter beyond 4 weeks after the target diameter has been achieved." Note (5): refractory stricture is "the inability to achieve target esophageal diameter despite receiving no fewer than 5 dilatation sessions performed at 2-week intervals." Note (1) requires findings to be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and Note (3) places a long list of esophagitis conditions under this same code, including "esophagitis due to peptic stricture."
- Diagnostic code
- 7206
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.114
- Schedule levels
- 80%, 50%, 30%, 10% and 0%
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.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) VA rating criteria (DC 7206)
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 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
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 (1): Findings must be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.”DC 7206
- “Note (2): Non-gastrointestinal complications of procedures should be rated under the appropriate system.”DC 7206
- “Note (3): This diagnostic code applies, but is not limited to, esophagitis, mechanical or chemical; Mallory Weiss syndrome (bleeding at junction of esophagus and stomach due to tears) due to caustic ingestion of alkali or acid; drug-induced or infectious esophagitis due to Candida, virus, or other organism; idiopathic eosinophilic, or lymphocytic esophagitis; esophagitis due to radiation therapy; esophagitis due to peptic stricture; and any esophageal condition that requires treatment with sclerotherapy.”DC 7206
- “Note (4): Recurrent esophageal stricture is defined as the inability to maintain target esophageal diameter beyond 4 weeks after the target diameter has been achieved.”DC 7206
- “Note (5): Refractory esophageal stricture is defined as the inability to achieve target esophageal diameter despite receiving no fewer than 5 dilatation sessions performed at 2-week intervals.”DC 7206
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) 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.
A LITTLE PREPARATION HELPS
What the C&P examiner will ask about Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Think through your own experience before exam day. Open a question to see what the examiner is assessing and which details are useful to describe accurately.
SeverityHow often do you experience heartburn, acid reflux, or stomach pain?
Assessing symptom frequency and severity for GERD rating determination.
- Describe specific symptoms: heartburn, regurgitation, difficulty swallowing
- List all medications you take for GERD
- Mention foods you have to avoid
- Describe impact on sleep and daily activities
- Not mentioning all the medications you take
- Not describing how it affects sleep when lying down
- Not mentioning secondary conditions like Barrett's esophagus
SeverityWhat foods or drinks do you have to avoid because of your GERD symptoms?
Evaluating lifestyle limitations and dietary restrictions which indicate severity and functional impact.
- Make a list of all foods and drinks you must avoid
- Describe how dietary restrictions affect social activities and dining out
- Mention weight loss from dietary restrictions
- Note if you have to eat multiple small meals instead of regular meals
- Not fully describing the extent of dietary limitations
- Failing to mention social impact of eating restrictions
- Not connecting dietary restrictions to weight changes
SeverityHow does GERD affect your sleep and what position do you have to sleep in?
Assessing sleep disruption and positioning requirements which indicate symptom severity.
- Describe your typical sleep position and any props needed
- Note how many times per night you wake up from reflux
- Mention if you sleep in a chair or recliner instead of bed
- Describe morning symptoms: sore throat, hoarse voice, cough
- Not describing all the accommodations you make for sleeping
- Failing to mention nighttime coughing or choking episodes
- Not connecting poor sleep to daytime fatigue and functioning
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?
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 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) 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 claim4 tips
- 01
Get the stricture itself documented, and by one of the three studies the code names — barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Note (1) makes that documentation a precondition, and a reflux diagnosis on its own does not satisfy it.
- 02
Keep a dated record of every dilatation, including whether steroids were used and whether a stent was placed. The 30, 50 and 80 percent steps are separated by how many dilatations occur in a year and by whether a stent, surgical correction or PEG tube was required.
- 03
Ask that the record state whether the stricture met Note (4)'s definition of recurrent — target diameter not maintained beyond 4 weeks after it was achieved — or Note (5)'s definition of refractory — target diameter not achieved despite no fewer than 5 dilatation sessions at 2-week intervals. Everything from 30 percent up is written around those two words.
- 04
If daily medication is what controls dysphagia, make sure the prescription record says so; that is what the 10 percent row describes.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
An examination that documents reflux symptoms but never establishes whether an esophageal stricture exists, leaving the criteria nothing to be applied to.
- 02
A record where dilatations are mentioned but not dated or counted, when the number performed within a year is what separates the 30 and 50 percent rows.
- 03
Findings taken from a study the code does not name — Note (1) requires barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Filing on the old analogous-to-hiatal-hernia framing. DC 7206 has its own criteria, and DC 7346 simply directs "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)", so a claim built on general symptom severity finds no matching row.
- 02
Submitting a medication history without stating what the medication controls; the 10 percent row is about daily medication to control dysphagia.
- 03
Leaving procedure history out of the file — dilatation counts per year, steroid dilatation, stent placement, surgical correction and PEG tube placement are the facts every compensable row names.
When symptoms may first appear3 tips
- 01
The schedule states no course of onset for this code. Every row of DC 7206 is written as a documented history of esophageal stricture and the treatment it requires, so the evaluation follows what the record shows now rather than how the reflux began.
- 02
The intervals the regulation does fix are what the compensable rows turn on, and they are annual: dilatation no more than 2 times per year at 30 percent, against dilatation 3 or more times per year, or dilatation using steroids at least one time per year, at 50 percent.
- 03
Two definitions put a clock on the stricture itself. Note (4) makes a stricture recurrent where target esophageal diameter is not maintained beyond 4 weeks after it has been achieved, and Note (5) makes it refractory where target diameter is not achieved despite no fewer than 5 dilatation sessions performed at 2-week intervals.
SECONDARY TO SOMETHING ELSE
Conditions that can lead to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Each links to a page on claiming Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) as secondary to that condition.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
More by branch: Army · Marines · Air Force · Navy · Coast Guard · Space Force
THE BROADER PICTURE
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – increases with documentation of daily symptoms and lifestyle impact.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~112,000 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 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) under VASRD diagnostic code 7206 (Digestive System). GERD is stomach acid and stomach contents flowing back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn, regurgitation and chest discomfort. DC 7206 has its own criteria table, and what that table measures is not how often heartburn occurs — every step is written around a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and the treatment that stricture requires. Note (1) requires the findings to be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
What VA disability rating can I get for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?
Possible VA ratings for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) are 80%, 50%, 30%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 80%: Documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s) causing dysphagia with at least one of the symptoms present: (1) aspiration, (2) undernutrition, and/or (3) substantial weight loss as defined by § 4.112(a) and treatment with either surgical correction of esophageal stricture(s) or percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube (PEG tube); 50%: Documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s) causing dysphagia which requires at least one of the following (1) dilatation 3 or more times per year, (2) dilatation using steroids at least one time per year, or (3) esophageal stent placement; 30%: Documented history of recurrent esophageal stricture(s) causing dysphagia which requires dilatation no more than 2 times per year.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) at around 30%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 112,000 veterans are service-connected for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – increases with documentation of daily symptoms and lifestyle impact.
What evidence helps prove Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) claim includes: A barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy report confirming the stricture — Note (1) names these three studies specifically; Dated procedure records for every dilatation, including any performed using steroids, plus placement or operative reports for an esophageal stent, surgical correction, or a percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube (PEG tube); Prescription records showing daily medication taken to control dysphagia, which is what the 10 percent row is written around; Weight measurements over time and any documentation of aspiration or undernutrition, since the 80 percent row names those alongside substantial weight loss as defined by § 4.112(a).
Which DBQ is used for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?
VA's Esophageal Disorders 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 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Filing on the old analogous-to-hiatal-hernia framing. DC 7206 has its own criteria, and DC 7346 simply directs "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)", so a claim built on general symptom severity finds no matching row; Submitting a medication history without stating what the medication controls; the 10 percent row is about daily medication to control dysphagia; Leaving procedure history out of the file — dilatation counts per year, steroid dilatation, stent placement, surgical correction and PEG tube placement are the facts every compensable row names.
What conditions can be secondary to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), when a medical opinion links them, include: Sleep Apnea; Barrett’s Esophagus; Asthma. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Is GERD still rated under DC 7346, the hiatal hernia code?
No, and the two codes now point in opposite directions. DC 7206 is gastroesophageal reflux disease and it carries its own five-step table in 38 CFR 4.114. DC 7346 is hiatal hernia and paraesophageal hernia, and it carries no criteria at all: its entry reads "Rate as esophagus, stricture of (DC 7203)." So a GERD claim is not rated by analogy to anything, and a decision citing 7346 for reflux is citing the hernia code. What both routes have in common is what they measure, which is the part that surprises people: a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia, and the treatment that stricture requires.
Why does my GERD rating depend on swallowing rather than heartburn?
Because that is what DC 7206's rows are written around. Every step names a documented history of esophageal stricture: 0 percent without daily symptoms or daily medications; 10 percent where stricture requires daily medications to control dysphagia and is otherwise asymptomatic; 30 percent for recurrent stricture causing dysphagia requiring dilatation no more than 2 times per year; 50 percent for recurrent or refractory stricture requiring dilatation 3 or more times per year, dilatation using steroids at least one time per year, or esophageal stent placement; and 80 percent where the dysphagia comes with aspiration, undernutrition, and/or substantial weight loss as defined by 38 CFR 4.112(a), together with surgical correction or a percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube. Note (1) requires the findings to be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Heartburn frequency appears in none of it, which is why a claim built on symptom severity finds no matching row.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.114, Schedule of ratings, digestive system (Diagnostic Code 7206)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two 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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