Service-connected hemorrhoids are a common disability among many veterans. They can be a primary or secondary disability.
Depending on the severity of the condition, you can receive a hemorrhoids VA disability rating of 10% or 20%, although in some situations (see extraschedular VA disability ratings for hemorrhoids below), this can be a higher rating.
If you would like to get a VA rating for hemorrhoids, please call Stone Rose Law at (480) 498-8998 or use our contact form.
The VA rates internal and external hemorrhoids based on the severity of the symptoms, with the dividing line between a 10% and a 20% rating being whether the symptoms are mild-to-moderate or severe.
The following table illustrates the VA schedular disability ratings for hemorrhoids.
| VA Disability for Hemorrhoids – Schedular Ratings | VA Disability Rating |
| Prolapsed internal hemorrhoids, with two or fewer episodes of thrombosis annually. | 10% |
| External hemorrhoids with three or more thrombosis episodes per year. | 10% |
| Internal or external hemorrhoids with persistent bleeding or secondary anemia. | 20% |
| Continuously prolapsed internal hemorrhoids with three or more episodes of thrombosis per year. | 20% |
In some cases, if your hemorrhoid symptoms are severe and go beyond the symptom descriptions for a 20% schedular disability rating above, the VA may assign you an extraschedular disability rating of more than 20%.
An example of an extraschedular rating would be a 30% disability rating of the hemorrhoid condition that contributes to a loss of sphincter control or chronic diarrhea.
Until May of 2024, the VA used to assign a 0% disability rating for mild or moderate hemorrhoids. Now the minimum disability rating is 10%.
Note that if you received a 0% disability rating for hemorrhoids before, this 2024 change does not automatically apply to your disability rating. Instead, you can apply for increased benefits to receive benefits at the new 10% disability rating.
Anal itching, also known as pruritus ani, is a form of intense itching in the anal area that is sometimes accompanied by bleeding, excoriation (skin abrasions), or both.
Although pruritus ani can be associated with hemorrhoids, it can also be caused by other factors including excessive or inadequate hygiene, skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis, fungal or bacterial infections, parasitic infections, food-related irritation (such as from alcohol or coffee consumption), or systemic diseases like diabetes, liver disease, or some kinds of cancers.
Because of these additional causal factors, you can experience anal itching as a separate disability from hemorrhoids. This rating will be:
If anal itching is associated with hemorrhoids, then it will not be rated as a separate disability but will fall under the disability rating criteria for hemorrhoids.
Total Disability Individual Unemployability, or TDIU, can qualify you to receive the equivalent of a 100% VA disability rating if your disability or combination of disabilities causes you to be unable to hold substantially gainful employment.
You have two ways to qualify for a higher disability rating under TDIU: schedular and extraschedular.
You can receive schedular TDIU benefits if, in addition to being unable to hold substantially gainful employment, you:
A hemorrhoid VA rating cannot by itself qualify you for schedular TDIU, although it can contribute to a combined disability rating of 70% as long as one of your other disability ratings is at least 40%.
To learn more about how the VA calculates disability ratings in general, and combined disability ratings, see our VA Disability Calculator.
If you cannot hold substantially gainful employment but do not qualify for schedular TDIU benefits, the VA may consider you for TDIU nonetheless if your disability condition or conditions warrant it.
It is unlikely that hemorrhoids alone could ever qualify you for extraschedular TDIU benefits, but if they are one of multiple disabling conditions, they could contribute to such a determination.
Hemorrhoids are clumps of swollen veins located in the lower rectum and the anus. Hemorrhoid outbreaks come in two types:
The symptoms you experience from a hemorrhoidal condition depend on whether you have internal or external hemorrhoids.
Internal hemorrhoids are generally not painful. Usually, they cannot be seen or felt. Their main symptom is bleeding during bowel movements.
Sometimes, an internal hemorrhoid can be pushed through the anus; in this case its symptoms become like those of an external hemorrhoid.
External hemorrhoid symptoms tend to be considerably more uncomfortable than internal symptoms. These include:
In more severe cases, blood can gather inside of an external hemorrhoid, forming a clot. These are known as thrombotic hemorrhoids or thrombosed hemorrhoids. In addition to the typical external hemorrhoid symptoms above, thrombotic hemorrhoids can exhibit symptoms including:
To receive a disability rating and disability benefits for hemorrhoids from the VA, you must establish a service connection to your condition.
To do this, you must persuade the VA of the following:
In addition to your doctor’s medical diagnosis and records of medical treatment, you can include other documentary proof with your VA disability benefits claim including written statements from your employer attesting to how the condition affects your ability to work, and letters from people who know you that witness the effects the condition has on your ability to perform day-to-day activities, and keeping a diary of your symptoms.
[CTA Block]
The conditions of active military service can contribute to the development or aggravation of a hemorrhoid condition in multiple ways:
Sometimes your hemorrhoid condition can be caused by another disability for which the VA has already given you a disability rating. This is known as a secondary service connection disability.
Examples of recognized VA disabilities that can lead to hemorrhoids include:
Once you have submitted your benefits claim to the VA, the VA will often schedule you to attend a compensation and pension exam. These exams allow the VA to gather more information about your disability for the purposes of deciding whether to approve your claim as a service-connected disability and to assign a disability rating to it.
C&P exams are an important part of processing your benefits claim. If the VA schedules one, you must do your best to attend the exam. If you miss the exam, this can harm your application: it will at least delay the evaluation of your claim, and could even lead to a claim denial.
The C&P exam itself follows a standard pattern. A VA examiner will review your medical evidence, like your medical records of diagnosis and treatment, and ask you some questions about your symptoms and how they are affecting your work and your daily life activities.
After that, the VA examiner may have you undergo a physical examination and perform some tests as appropriate.
When the C&P examination is complete, the VA examiner will prepare a report for the VA that summarizes the examiner’s findings. You are also entitled to receive a copy of this report.
If the VA examiner’s report concludes that your hemorrhoid condition is at least as likely as not to have a service connection, then this is a favorable report. If the examiner concludes that a service connection is less than likely, then this is an unfavorable report.
Initial claim denials by the VA are not uncommon. As many as one in three first-time claims get denied.
Sometimes the reason is simple, like a mistake or an omission in completing your claim application. Other times the cause can be if the VA concludes that your supporting evidence is insufficient to establish a service connection or that it is more likely that your condition is a pre-existing one. And sometimes the VA can make an error in processing your claim.
If the VA denies your claim for a hemorrhoid disability, then you have different options to review your claim.
Although you can prepare and submit your claim for hemorrhoids-related VA disability compensation on your own, there are many reasons why it is a good idea to have the help of an experienced veterans benefits law firm.
At Stone Rose Law, we make sure you receive legal counsel and representation you can trust. Call us at (480) 498-8998 or contact us online to get in touch with a veterans disability lawyer.
