The Eczema VA Rating Guide: What the VA Looks for and How to Prove It

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If you’re dealing with eczema after your military service, you’re not alone—and you may be missing out on VA disability benefits you rightfully deserve.

Eczema is the third most commonly rated skin condition among veterans, with more than 556,000 VA ratings awarded. If your eczema is linked to your service, you could qualify for more than $1,300 in monthly, tax-free compensation.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to get an eczema VA rating, what the VA looks for, and how to give your claim the best possible chance of success.

Let’s dive in.

Summary of Key Points

Eczema is rated under Diagnostic Code 7806 using the General Rating Formula for the Skin. 
Eczema can be rated at 0%, 10%, 30%, or 60%, depending on factors such as the percentage of your body affected by lesions and treatment requirements. 
To qualify for an eczema VA rating, you need a current diagnosis, persistent symptoms, qualifying service, and proof of service connection. 
There are 3 ways to file a VA claim for eczema. 

Eczema VA Disability

Eczema is one of many skin conditions rated by the VA. This means that if you meet the VA’s qualification criteria, you could receive VA disability benefits for eczema, including VA disability compensation. 

Eczema vs. Dermatitis

Dermatitis is also a VA disability and is rated in the same way as eczema. 

“Eczema” and “dermatitis” are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing. 

Dermatitis is a broad term that encompasses eczema as well as several other skin conditions. 

See also: How to Win a Dermatitis VA Rating

How the VA Rates Eczema

Eczema VA ratings are 0%, 10%, 30%, or 60%.

Eczema is found in the Veterans Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) under Diagnostic Code (DC) 7806. (Diagnostic codes are unique, 4-digit codes the VA uses to identify ratable conditions). The VASRD has hundreds of diagnostic codes, and each is usually accompanied by a rating chart (sometimes DCs will share a rating chart). 

Rating charts list the symptoms associated with a condition. Next to each symptom, or set of symptoms, is a rating percentage that reflects the severity of the symptom(s). 

When you submit a claim for eczema, the VA looks for evidence of your symptoms and compares it to the rating chart to decide what disability rating to assign you.  

Eczema VA Rating Chart

Under Diagnostic Code 7806 is a little note that says, “Evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin.” 

This formula is how the VA rates most skin conditions, and it primarily considers these three factors: 

1. The extent to which lesions affect your body 

2. How often you need to take immunosuppressive drugs for treatment 

3. Whether topical therapy alone is sufficient for treatment, and if so, the extent of body involvement 

Based on these factors, you can get an eczema VA disability rating of either 0%, 10%, 30%, or 60%. 

General Rating Formula for the Skin	Rating %
At least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving more than 40 percent of the entire body or more than 40 percent of exposed areas affected; or Constant or near-constant systemic therapy including, but not limited to, corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, psoralen with long-wave ultraviolet-A light (PUVA), or other immunosuppressive drugs required over the past 12-month period	60
At least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving 20 to 40 percent of the entire body or 20 to 40 percent of exposed areas affected; or Systemic therapy including, but not limited to, corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, or other immunosuppressive drugs required for a total duration of 6 weeks or more, but not constantly, over the past 12-month period	30
At least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving at least 5 percent, but less than 20 percent, of the entire body affected; or At least 5 percent, but less than 20 percent, of exposed areas affected; or Intermittent systemic therapy including, but not limited to, corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, or other immunosuppressive drugs required for a total duration of less than 6 weeks over the past 12-month period	10
No more than topical therapy required over the past 12-month period and at least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving less than 5 percent of the entire body affected; or Characteristic lesions involving less than 5 percent of exposed areas affected Or rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800) or scars (DCs 7801, 7802, 7804, or 7805), depending upon the predominant disability. This rating instruction does not apply to DC 7824	0

“Systemic Therapy” Defined

For VA rating purposes, systemic therapy means “treatment that is administered through any route (orally, injection, suppository, intranasally) other than the skin.”  

Any medication that’s applied directly to the skin isn’t considered systemic. 

However, if topical treatments are extensively used to the extent that they impact the entire body, the VA may classify them as systemic therapy. 

If this comes into question during your eczema claim, the VA will refer the case to a dermatology specialist for their opinion. 

Qualifying for an Eczema VA Rating

To qualify for VA disability benefits for any condition, you need these four things: 

1. A current diagnosis in a medical record (Service Treatment Records, VA medical records, or private medical records). “Current” means that you still have symptoms. If you were diagnosed with eczema in the past, but it got better, your diagnosis is no longer current. The VA has a “duty to assist,” which means they’ll help you find the records you need to support your claim.  

2. Proof your condition was caused or made worse by your military service or a disability already rated by the VA. This is known as “service connection.”  

3. Persistent and recurring symptoms. If you were diagnosed with eczema in the past, but your symptoms went away, you aren’t eligible for a VA rating. You must have eczema in the present day. 

4. Qualifying service. This varies depending on the benefit. 

How to Get an Eczema Diagnosis

The VA accepts diagnoses from any qualified medical professional, private or VA-affiliated. There are many telemedicine services out there ready and able to assist veterans with an eczema diagnosis. 

You can also make an appointment with a VA healthcare center near you. If you’re already enrolled in VA Healthcare and registered as a patient, you may be able to get a diagnosis for free.  

Proving Service Connection

The VA only rates conditions caused or made worse by your military service (or by a disability already rated by the VA). This is known as service connection, and it’s the hardest part of the VA claims process for many veterans. 

There are five types of service connection, but only three apply to most eczema claims: 

1. Direct service connection. This is when you’re able to prove your military service is directly responsible for causing your current condition. 

2. Secondary service connection refers to a condition that is caused or aggravated by a direct service-connected (primary) disability. These are known as “secondary conditions.” 

3. Aggravating pre-existing condition applies to pre-existing disabilities that worsened due to your time in the military. 

Direct Service Connection

If you already have an eczema diagnosis, you need two other things to establish direct service connection:  

1. Evidence of an in-service event, injury, or illness. This is the incident you’re claiming is responsible for your eczema. This could be found in your military medical records or other military records. It can also come in the form of personal statements from yourself, your family, or others who were there at the time. It must have happened during and because of your military service. 

2. A medical “nexus” (link) between your dermatitis and your in-service event, injury, or illness. Based on the evidence, can a medical professional be at least 50% certain that your in-service event, injury, or illness is the cause of your eczema? If you get a Nexus Letter, the link will be expressed as one of these statements of probability: 

1. “Is due to” = 100% certain 

2. “More likely than not” = greater than 50% certain 

3. “At least as likely as not” = equal to 50% certain 

4. “Was less likely” = less than 50% certain 

5. “Is not due to” = 0% chance 

If you’re pursuing service connection for an aggravated pre-existing condition, you need to provide the two elements above, as well as proof that your condition existed before entering the military. 

NOTE: All VA claims require a probability of “at least as likely as not” or higher to be considered service-connected. 

Secondary Service Connection

Secondary service connection requires the same elements as direct service connection, except for two small changes: 

1. For secondary conditions, your primary disability (a disability you already have a VA rating for) serves as your in-service event, injury, or illness. All you need is to show the VA proof of your rating. This proof could be in the form of your rating decision letter. 

2. You still need to provide a medical nexus, but the nexus should be between the secondary condition you’re claiming and the primary disability you believe caused or aggravated it. 

Service Requirements

Service requirements vary depending on the benefit. For monthly compensation, the service requirements include: 

1. Have served at least 90 days on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training 

2. Not have received an Other Than Honorable, Bad Conduct, or Dishonorable discharge 

You’ll need to submit your DD-214 with your VA claim to show that you have qualifying service. 

How to Apply for an Eczema VA Rating 

There are three ways to apply for VA benefits: 

1. Online at VA.gov. Check out our post How to File a VA Claim Online (17-Step Tutorial) for detailed instructions for the online submission tool! 

2. Mailing a completed VA Form 21-526EZ to: 

3. You can also submit VA Form 21-526EZ in person at your local regional VA office.

Conclusion

Eczema may be common among veterans, but that doesn’t mean the claims process is easy. The VA looks closely at your symptoms, treatment history, and service connection when assigning a rating. Knowing how to document your condition and prove it’s linked to your military service is key to getting the compensation you deserve.

Whether your eczema started in service, was aggravated by another service-connected condition, or developed later due to environmental exposure, you have options. Don’t leave money on the table—take action, get a proper diagnosis, and gather the right evidence to support your claim.

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If you’ve filed your VA disability claim and have been denied or have received a low rating—or you’re unsure how to get started—reach out to us! Take advantage of a VA Claim Discovery Call.  

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