YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) under diagnostic code 6000, 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 Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)
Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye that can cause redness, pain, and vision problems.
DC 6000 is titled "Choroidopathy, including uveitis, iritis, cyclitis, or choroiditis" - all four are the same code. It has no criteria of its own and is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye, which rates on the basis of either visual impairment due to the particular condition or on incapacitating episodes, whichever results in the higher evaluation. The incapacitating-episode tiers are counted in documented treatment visits over the past 12 months, and 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. The formula's Note (2) gives examples of qualifying treatment: systemic immunosuppressants or biologic agents, intravitreal or periocular injections, laser treatments, or other surgical interventions.
- Diagnostic code
- 6000
- 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
Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) VA rating criteria (DC 6000)
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 Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)
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 Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) 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 Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)?
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 Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) 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
Keep every ophthalmology appointment dated and on the record - the episode count is a count of treatment visits, not of flare-ups you managed at home.
- 02
Make sure each treatment is described by type, since the formula names immunosuppressants, biologics, injections, laser and surgery as examples of qualifying treatment.
- 03
Ask for visual acuity and visual field testing as well, since the formula evaluates on visual impairment where that produces the higher result.
- 04
Describe how symptoms affect reading and light sensitivity, which gives the clinical findings functional context.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
Not distinguishing between active and inactive phases
- 02
Lack of ophthalmologist input
- 03
Missing documentation of treatment frequency
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Failing to document frequency of flare-ups
- 02
Missing visual impact evidence
- 03
Claiming without ophthalmologist confirmation
When symptoms may first appear2 tips
- 01
May follow systemic infection or autoimmune trigger
- 02
Often recurs unpredictably over time
SECONDARY TO SOMETHING ELSE
Conditions that can lead to Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)
Each links to a page on claiming Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) as secondary to that condition.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)
More by branch: Army · Marines · Air Force · Navy · Coast Guard · Space Force
THE BROADER PICTURE
Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – higher with recurring symptoms and treatment history.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~2,100 veterans
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 Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)
Is Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) under VASRD diagnostic code 6000 (Eye Conditions). Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye that can cause redness, pain, and vision problems.
What VA disability rating can I get for Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)?
Possible VA ratings for Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) 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 evidence helps prove Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis) claim includes: Ophthalmology records dating each treatment visit, since the incapacitating-episode tiers are counted in visits over the past 12 months; Prescription history for corticosteroids, systemic immunosuppressants or biologic agents, which the formula's Note (2) names as qualifying treatment; Records of intravitreal or periocular injections, laser treatment or surgery, also named in Note (2); Visual acuity and visual field testing, because the formula takes whichever route produces the higher evaluation.
Which DBQ is used for Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)?
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 Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis): Failing to document frequency of flare-ups; Missing visual impact evidence; Claiming without ophthalmologist confirmation.
What conditions can be secondary to Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis), when a medical opinion links them, include: Glaucoma. 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 6000)
- 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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