The thyroid gland is one of the most consequential glands in the body. The hormone it produces helps regulate body functions and directly impacts your body’s metabolism and overall health. When it does not produce sufficient thyroid hormone, an underactive thyroid can lead to a serious thyroid disorder known as hypothyroidism.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) pays monthly disability compensation to veterans who have hypothyroidism connected with their military service. Stone Rose Law can help you determine if your hypothyroid condition is service-connected and assist you in applying for VA disability benefits if it is.
To speak with one of our VA disability benefits attorneys, call us at (480) 498-8998 to set up a free consultation. We help veterans with initial disability claims, supplemental claims, and appeals of denied claims for hypothyroidism and other thyroid disorders.
Proper thyroid hormone levels are essential to maintaining healthy breathing, digestion, heart rate, body temperature, and metabolism. When the thyroid does not produce enough hormones, these body functions slow down, leading to adverse health symptoms.
The early symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
Left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to additional long-term common symptoms and complications:
Hypothyroidism can arise from several sources. Some are primary, meaning a problem exists with the thyroid gland. Others are secondary, meaning some other problem interferes with the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones.
Some of the ways that the thyroid itself can cause hypothyroidism are:
Common secondary causes of hypothyroidism come as consequences of medical treatment for other problems include:
Some people have characteristics that make them more susceptible to developing hypothyroidism. Some of these risk characteristics include:
The first step to qualifying for VA disability benefits based on hypothyroidism is to have a current diagnosis for the condition.
Your doctor will use a variety of tests to determine if you have hypothyroidism. These can include checking your blood to measure your level of thyroid hormones, a physical exam, thyroid ultrasound imaging tests, and other tests to measure your cholesterol levels, liver enzymes, prolactin, sodium, and cortisol.
If you have a current medical diagnosis of hypothyroidism, the next step is to determine if it has a presumptive service connection for VA purposes. This means you do not have to prove a connection between your military service and the disability.
Once you have a medical diagnosis of hypothyroidism, you can file a claim for disability benefits using VA Form 21-526EZ.
The VA recognizes that exposure to chemicals that the US military has used and burn pits used to destroy certain chemicals can lead to the development of hypothyroidism.
The chemical most commonly associated with hypothyroidism is Agent Orange. Exposure to Agent Orange can qualify you for a presumptive service connection for hypothyroidism as long as you meet any of the following conditions:
Although the VA does not consider it to be a presumptive service connection, if you developed hypothyroidism and were exposed to wood preservatives from military burn pits, you may be able to use medical evidence like your medical records to establish a service connection for hypothyroidism.
You may also be able to establish a service connection for hypothyroidism if you were exposed to certain chemicals while serving. These include:
A secondary service-connection disability is one caused by another service-connected disability.
For example, let’s say that you have a VA disability rating for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As part of your mental disturbance treatment, you are prescribed a medication that includes lithium. If the lithium exposure caused you to develop hypothyroidism symptoms, you may be determined to have a secondary service connection between the PTSD disability and your hypothyroidism condition.
Another example includes developing hypothyroidism from treatment of a cancer-related VA disability.
In addition to being a possible secondary condition to another disability, hypothyroidism can also cause you to experience other disabling conditions as secondary conditions themselves. These can include anxiety, depression, heart problems, weight gain, sleep disorders, and cognitive disability.
If you establish a service connection to your medically diagnosed hypothyroidism condition, the VA will assign you a disability compensation rating. The VA rates hypothyroidism on a temporary basis as well as for longer-term conditions related to hypothyroidism.
There are two possible six-month temporary ratings you can receive for hypothyroidism: a temporary 100% disability rating or a temporary 30% rating. The six-month period for the temporary rating begins when you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism; if you apply for VA disability benefits more than six months after diagnosis, you will not receive the temporary 30% disability rating.
The two temporary ratings for hypothyroidism depend on whether it manifests as myxedema. Myxedema qualifies for a 100% rating. Without it, the rating is 30%. Symptoms of myxedema include cold sensitivity, muscle weakness, cardiovascular issues, and mental health disturbances.
If you receive a temporary 30% disability rating, it will expire six months after your initial diagnosis. The VA will then assign you separate disability ratings for any remaining hypothyroidism symptoms, secondary conditions, or treatment complications.
If you did not receive the temporary 30% disability rating because your claim came more than six months after diagnosis, the VA will assign you separate disability ratings as per the above paragraph.
If you receive the temporary 100% disability rating, it will apply until six months after a doctor decides you have reached “crisis stabilization.” At that point, the VA will re-assess your condition and will assign you separate ratings for each of the remaining hypothyroidism symptoms, secondary conditions, or complications arising from treatment.
You can also receive VA ratings for other conditions affecting your thyroid gland or endocrine system. Here is a brief overview of some of them.
Thyroid enlargement is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland, also known as a goiter. It can result from an iodine deficiency, gland inflammation, or other medical conditions. Symptoms include swelling, coughing, and sometimes difficulty breathing.
Similar to hypothyroidism, the VA rates thyroid enlargement as temporary at 30% for six months after diagnosis. After six months, the VA will rate the remaining symptoms caused by thyroid enlargement.
Thyroiditis is inflammation of the thyroid that can lead to hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
The VA rates thyroiditis at 0% when thyroid function is normal. Otherwise, it rates symptoms related to hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism according to the appropriate body system.
The VA rates service-connected thyroid cancer at 100% during treatment. Six months after treatment, the VA determines a new disability rating, depending on your residuals.
The board-certified VA claims lawyers at Stone Rose Law serve veterans with service-connected disabilities, including thyroid issues, and provide affordable, high-quality legal assistance for veterans’ appeals.
If you have one or more potential disability ratings and want to see an estimate of how much you may be eligible for in VA disability benefits, you can use our VA Disability Calculator.
A Stone Rose disability lawyer can help you prepare your initial or any supplemental hypothyroidism disability claim, monitor your claim status, and consult with you before disability examinations at no cost.
If the VA denies your original VA claim, our VA benefits law firm will assign a VA disability appeals lawyer to help you pursue a VA appeal with the Board of Veterans Appeals. We will provide free representation on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay unless you win.
For more information about how one of our VA disability lawyers can help you with your VA disability compensation claim or appeal for hypothyroidism or any other thyroid-related service-connected disability, request a free assistance consultation at (480) 498-8998.You can also reach us online to ask about veterans’ law, veterans’ disability benefits, or the VA claims process. Call today to set an appointment with one of our veterans’ lawyers for a free case evaluation.
