YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) under diagnostic code 7304, in 38 CFR § 4.114 (digestive system), and the schedule provides five evaluation levels for it: 100%, 60%, 40%, 20% and 0%.
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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 Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)
Peptic ulcer disease is an open sore in the lining of the stomach or the upper small intestine, causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes bleeding. DC 7304 is the schedule's peptic ulcer code — the index routes "Ulcer, peptic" here, and DC 7305 and DC 7306 are listed as removed. What sets the percentage is the pattern rather than the diagnosis: how long each episode of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting lasts, how many occurred in the past 12 months, whether daily prescribed medication is required, and whether bleeding, anemia, or surgery has been involved.
DC 7304 is rated on counted episodes rather than on general severity. The 20 percent level requires "episodes of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting, that: last for at least three consecutive days in duration; occur three times or less in the past 12 months; and are managed by daily prescribed medication", and 40 percent is that same picture occurring "four or more times in the past 12 months". The 60 percent level describes something different: "continuous abdominal pain with intermittent vomiting, recurrent hematemesis (vomiting blood) or melena (tarry stools); and manifestations of anemia which require hospitalization at least once in the past 12 months". A 100 percent evaluation is assigned "post-operative for perforation or hemorrhage, for three months", after which the code's Note directs VA to "rate on residuals as determined by mandatory VA medical examination", applying § 3.105(e) to any change that follows. A "history of peptic ulcer disease documented by endoscopy or diagnostic imaging studies", without those episode findings, is 0 percent. Chronic gastritis (DC 7307) is rated on this same ladder.
- Diagnostic code
- 7304
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.114
- Schedule levels
- 100%, 60%, 40%, 20% 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
Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) VA rating criteria (DC 7304)
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 Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)
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: After three months at the 100% evaluation, rate on residuals as determined by mandatory VA medical examination. Apply the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter to any change in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination.”DC 7304
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) 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 Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)?
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 Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) 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
Have each flare-up entered in the record while it is happening, with its start and end dates. The 20 and 40 percent criteria turn on episodes lasting at least three consecutive days and on how many occurred in the past 12 months, and an episode with no note behind it cannot be counted.
- 02
Keep the prescription history for any daily medication, because "managed by daily prescribed medication" is a required element at both the 20 and 40 percent levels.
- 03
Gather hospital records and laboratory results together for any bleeding episode — the 60 percent level pairs hematemesis or melena with manifestations of anemia requiring hospitalization at least once in the past 12 months.
- 04
If a 100 percent evaluation was assigned after surgery for perforation or hemorrhage, it runs for three months and the Note then calls for a mandatory VA examination to rate residuals, so current treatment records belong in the file before that examination.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
Episodes managed at home that never generated a note, leaving nothing in the record to count against criteria that are explicitly numeric.
- 02
No endoscopy or diagnostic imaging in the file, which is what the schedule names as documentation of peptic ulcer disease.
- 03
Notes that describe symptoms only in general terms, with no duration recorded, so the three-consecutive-day threshold cannot be assessed from the record.
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Filing on a diagnosis alone, without the endoscopy or diagnostic imaging studies the schedule names.
- 02
Leaving daily prescribed medication out of the evidence when it is a required element of both the 20 and 40 percent evaluations.
- 03
Working from an older decision that cites DC 7305 or DC 7306. The index lists both as removed and routes "Ulcer, peptic" to DC 7304, so the criteria that apply are the ones printed under 7304.
When symptoms may first appear2 tips
- 01
The criteria are written around episodes rather than a constant state: they count how long each episode of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting lasts and how many fell in the past 12 months.
- 02
An ulcer can be quiet for long periods and then recur, which is the situation the schedule's 0 percent row describes — a documented history confirmed by endoscopy or diagnostic imaging studies, without current episodes.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) by the numbers
- Veterans service-connected
- ~3,700 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
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 Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)
Is Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) under VASRD diagnostic code 7304 (Digestive System). Peptic ulcer disease is an open sore in the lining of the stomach or the upper small intestine, causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes bleeding. DC 7304 is the schedule's peptic ulcer code — the index routes "Ulcer, peptic" here, and DC 7305 and DC 7306 are listed as removed. What sets the percentage is the pattern rather than the diagnosis: how long each episode of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting lasts, how many occurred in the past 12 months, whether daily prescribed medication is required, and whether bleeding, anemia, or surgery has been involved.
What VA disability rating can I get for Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)?
Possible VA ratings for Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) are 100%, 60%, 40%, 20%, 0%. Examples: 100%: Post-operative for perforation or hemorrhage, for three months; 60%: Continuous abdominal pain with intermittent vomiting, recurrent hematemesis (vomiting blood) or melena (tarry stools); and manifestations of anemia which require hospitalization at least once in the past 12 months; 40%: Episodes of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting, that: last for at least three consecutive days in duration; occur four or more times in the past 12 months; and are managed by daily prescribed medication.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 3,700 veterans are service-connected for Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers).
What evidence helps prove Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers) claim includes: Endoscopy or diagnostic imaging studies confirming peptic ulcer disease, which is how the schedule's own 0 percent row says the history is documented; Treatment notes that date each episode of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting and record how many consecutive days it lasted; A pharmacy or prescription record showing daily prescribed medication; Hospital admission records and laboratory results documenting anemia for any episode involving hematemesis or melena.
Which DBQ is used for Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)?
VA's Stomach and Duodenum 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 Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers): Filing on a diagnosis alone, without the endoscopy or diagnostic imaging studies the schedule names; Leaving daily prescribed medication out of the evidence when it is a required element of both the 20 and 40 percent evaluations; Working from an older decision that cites DC 7305 or DC 7306. The index lists both as removed and routes "Ulcer, peptic" to DC 7304, so the criteria that apply are the ones printed under 7304.
What conditions can be secondary to Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers)?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Peptic Ulcer Disease (Gastric, Duodenal, and Marginal Ulcers), when a medical opinion links them, include: GERD. 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 § 4.114, Schedule of ratings, digestive system (Diagnostic Code 7304)
- 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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