YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Glaucoma VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Glaucoma under diagnostic code 6013, in 38 CFR § 4.79 (eye conditions), and the schedule provides four evaluation levels for it: 60%, 40%, 20% 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 Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, narrowing the field of vision over time. The VA schedule codes it in two forms — open-angle glaucoma (DC 6013) and angle-closure glaucoma (DC 6012) — and gives them word-for-word identical rating instructions.
DC 6012 and DC 6013 carry no rating criteria of their own. Each reads: "Evaluate under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye. Minimum evaluation if continuous medication is required — 10." That formula is evaluated "on the basis of either visual impairment due to the particular condition or on incapacitating episodes, whichever results in a higher evaluation," so there are two routes and VA applies the one that pays more. The incapacitating-episodes route is the ladder in the table above and stops at 60 percent; an incapacitating episode is defined as "an eye condition severe enough to require a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment purposes." The visual-impairment route is rated under separate diagnostic codes — impairment of central visual acuity (DCs 6061-6066), visual fields (DC 6080), or muscle function (DC 6090) — and is the only route that reaches 30, 70, 80, 90 or 100 percent. Two limits govern it: where only one eye is service-connected the other eye is considered to be 20/40 (38 CFR 4.75(c)), and "the evaluation for visual impairment of one eye must not exceed 30 percent unless there is anatomical loss of the eye" (38 CFR 4.75(d)).
- Diagnostic code
- 6013
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.79
- Schedule levels
- 60%, 40%, 20% 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
Glaucoma VA rating criteria (DC 6013)
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 Glaucoma
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): For the purposes of evaluation under 38 CFR 4.79, an incapacitating episode is an eye condition severe enough to require a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment purposes”General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye
- “Note (2): Examples of treatment may include but are not limited to: Systemic immunosuppressants or biologic agents; intravitreal or periocular injections; laser treatments; or other surgical interventions”General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye
- “Note (3): For the purposes of evaluating visual impairment due to the particular condition, refer to 38 CFR 4.75-4.78 and to § 4.79, diagnostic codes 6061-6091”General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Glaucoma 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 Glaucoma?
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 Glaucoma 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 claim3 tips
- 01
Ask for formal visual field testing (perimetry), not just an eye-chart acuity test. The visual-impairment route is the only one that reaches above 60 percent, and field loss is how glaucoma usually shows up there.
- 02
Count treatment visits over the last 12 months. The incapacitating-episodes route turns entirely on how many clinic visits your eye condition required for treatment purposes, so a visit log can be worth more than a symptom description.
- 03
If you use pressure-lowering drops daily, say so explicitly — continuous medication is the stated basis for the 10 percent minimum, independent of any vision loss.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind4 tips
- 01
Not including medication evidence, since continuous medication use is a specific, independent basis for a compensable rating.
- 02
Missing visual field data, which is the test that actually measures the vision loss glaucoma causes.
- 03
Using only a standard vision acuity test instead of a visual field test, since this specific code is rated on field loss, not acuity.
- 04
No intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements included.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Submitting only an eyeglass prescription, which speaks to refractive error rather than the optic-nerve damage and field loss glaucoma is rated on.
- 02
Leaving treatment visits undocumented, which forecloses the incapacitating-episodes route entirely.
When symptoms may first appear2 tips
- 01
Glaucoma typically develops gradually and can run in families, though it can also follow service-connected head trauma that affects eye pressure regulation.
- 02
Glaucoma under this code typically develops gradually, with visual field loss worsening slowly over time, often without the person noticing until it's significant.
SECONDARY TO SOMETHING ELSE
Conditions that can lead to Glaucoma
Each links to a page on claiming Glaucoma as secondary to that condition.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Glaucoma
More by branch: Army · Marines · Air Force · Navy · Coast Guard
THE BROADER PICTURE
Glaucoma by the numbers
- Veterans service-connected
- ~12,500 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~10%
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 Glaucoma
Is Glaucoma a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Glaucoma under VASRD diagnostic code 6013 (Eye Conditions). Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, narrowing the field of vision over time. The VA schedule codes it in two forms — open-angle glaucoma (DC 6013) and angle-closure glaucoma (DC 6012) — and gives them word-for-word identical rating instructions.
What VA disability rating can I get for Glaucoma?
Possible VA ratings for Glaucoma are 60%, 40%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 60%: With documented incapacitating episodes requiring 7 or more treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months; 40%: With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 5 but less than 7 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months; 20%: With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 3 but less than 5 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Glaucoma?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Glaucoma at around 10%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 12,500 veterans are service-connected for Glaucoma.
What evidence helps prove Glaucoma for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Glaucoma claim includes: Optometry records tracking eye pressure and vision over time; Visual field tests measuring the extent of any vision loss; Ophthalmologist reports documenting the diagnosis and treatment plan; An ophthalmology report documenting the diagnosis.
Which DBQ is used for Glaucoma?
VA's Eye Conditions 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 Glaucoma?
Common pitfalls when filing for Glaucoma: Submitting only an eyeglass prescription, which speaks to refractive error rather than the optic-nerve damage and field loss glaucoma is rated on; Leaving treatment visits undocumented, which forecloses the incapacitating-episodes route entirely.
What conditions can be secondary to Glaucoma?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Glaucoma, when a medical opinion links them, include: Depression. 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 § 4.79, Schedule of ratings, eye conditions (Diagnostic Code 6013)
- 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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