Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a long-term medical condition affecting the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. IBS can make it harder to enjoy normal daily life activities because they are more susceptible to mood disorders, depression, anxiety, and absences from work.
If you’re looking for help with getting a VA disability rating for IBS, reach out to Stone Rose Law to speak with our veterans disability lawyers. Call us at (480) 498-8998 or fill out our contact form.
IBS is common among U.S. military veterans: more than 200,000 veterans have an IBS claim, representing about one in seven of all claims for body system disabilities. The following statistics are for veterans as a whole:
Source: VA Annual Benefits Report for Fiscal Year 2023, Updated February 2024
The incidence of IBS is slightly higher for recent veterans. Here are the numbers for veterans of the Global War on Terror:
Source: VA Annual Benefits Report for Fiscal Year 2023, Updated February 2024
IBS is a condition for which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) provides disability benefits, including monthly compensation benefits.
If you are suffering from medically-diagnosed IBS and need help making a VA benefits claim or appealing a denied claim for IBS, call the Stone Rose Law Firm for help at (480) 498-8998.
IBS is a chronic condition with minimal treatment aimed at managing the symptoms of constant abdominal distress. The most frequent symptoms of IBS include:
IBS can be hard to diagnose. Doctors often diagnose IBS only after being unable to find any other cause for IBS symptoms.
Some causes of IBS can include:
People at higher risk for IBS include those under 50, women, individuals with a family history of IBS, and those who experience anxiety, depression, or have a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
Food allergies or intolerances may trigger IBS episodes but are not generally recognized as causing IBS.
There are two other conditions that the VA may diagnose as IBS due to their similar symptoms: inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
The simplest way to distinguish between IBS and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is to look at the symptoms. IBD is an inflammatory ailment that can be diagnosed using medical imaging tests, while IBS does not harm the intestinal tract.
IBD has comparatively mild symptoms compared to IBD. And unlike IBS, IBD can also have symptoms like fever or bleeding.
Despite being completely different disabilities, GERD and IBS share similar symptoms. However, GERD can result in a higher VA disability rating than IBS.
Although you can file for VA benefits for both conditions, the VA typically does not give ratings for both conditions individually. Usually, the VA will assign you a single rating for the one with the higher disability rating.
To file a successful claim for IBS-related VA disability benefits, you must be able to draw a service connection between your military service and your IBS medical diagnosis.
The VA has made claiming benefits simple for Gulf War veterans, especially for those who were a prisoner of war for at least 30 days. IBS is one of several Gulf War presumptive conditions. Specifically, IBS is considered a “functional gastrointestinal disorder.”
If you qualify as a Gulf War veteran and served during a qualifying time and in a qualifying place, the VA does not require you to prove a service connection between your time in service and your IBS condition.
For a presumptive IBS condition to exist, you must have been diagnosed with IBS during active duty service or at any time after your separation from service. You must also have had IBS for at least six months.
Additionally, you must have served in any of the following locations in the Southwest Asia Theater (including the airspace above them unless otherwise noted) on or after August 2, 1990:
If you cannot qualify for IBS as a presumptive service-connected disability condition, you can still apply for and receive VA disability benefits for service-related IBS. However, you must prove that a nexus exists between an in-service event or condition and your current IBS symptoms.
You can show a service connection either for IBS directly or as a secondary condition to another disabling medical condition.
To establish a direct service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, you must meet these conditions:
Establishing a direct service connection for IBS will require the assistance of your treating doctor. They must diagnose you with the condition and write the “nexus letter” to the VA connecting the condition to your service.
Additional information to prove your condition can include documents like “buddy letters” from people who were in a position to know the effects your IBS condition was having on you.
IBS can be a secondary service-connected condition if you already have a VA-approved disability that led to the onset of your IBS condition.
Conditions like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be considered pre-existing disabilities that may lead to IBS. However, you will still need to provide enough medical evidence to convince the VA that it is at least as likely as not that the pre-existing disability caused your IBS.
If you prove IBS as a secondary disability rating, the VA will assign you a combined disability rating. To understand how combined VA disability ratings work (most veterans with disabilities have more than one), please see our VA Disability Calculator.
IBS can contribute to additional conditions, such as hemorrhoid conditions. This disability can have a separate VA disability rating of up to 20% Having both IBS and hemorrhoids can contribute to a combined disability rating for both conditions.
The diarrhea and constipation from IBS can cause or worsen hemorrhoids. The VA rates hemorrhoids under diagnostic code 7336 with ratings of 0%, 10%, or 20%, depending on the severity of the condition. A veteran with hemorrhoids may be able to show a link between the condition and IBS for additional monthly compensation.
Once you have your supporting evidence, the next step is to file your claim with the VA. You can do this by submitting VA Form 21-526EZ online, mailing it to the VA, or submitting it to your nearest VA regional office.
Often, the VA will seek additional information before it decides whether to approve your disability claim and assign an appropriate disability rating for it. It will do this by scheduling you for a C&P exam by a VA examiner.
The C&P examiner will review your medical evidence, including your medical records, ask you some questions, and possibly perform some tests on you.
It is essential to be at your C&P exam if the VA schedules you for one. Missing it can delay the processing of your claim or even lead to a claim denial. It is also a good idea to consult with an experienced VA disability lawyer, like one of ours at Stone Rose Law, before your C&P exam so you can know what to expect and be best prepared for it.
If the VA approves your disability claim for IBS, it will assign you a disability rating of 10%, 20%, or 30% based on your symptom severity.
At this level, your IBS condition causes you to experience abdominal pain at least once monthly over a period including at least the past three months. Additionally, you must also exhibit at least two of the following symptoms:
At this level, pain that accompanies defecation must happen at least three times monthly for at least the past three months. Also, you must experience at least two of the same additional symptoms above for the 10% disability rating.
At this level, the abdominal pain that goes along with defecation must happen at least once weekly for at least the past three months. Like with the 10% and 20% disability ratings, you must also experience at least two additional qualifying symptoms.
The VA can give you a total disability claim (the same compensation as a 100% disability rating) if your disability or combined disabilities prevent you from gaining or keeping substantially gainful employment.
The VA can assign TDIU in connection with TDIU as a disability in two ways: schedular TDIU and extraschedular TDIU.
Schedular TDIU can apply if you have a single disability rating of at least 60% and you cannot be gainfully employed or if you have a combined disability rating of at least 70% with at least one rating at 40% or more and you cannot be gainfully employed.
Because the maximum disability rating for IBS is 30%, it cannot be the decisive factor in a schedular TDIU claim. However, it can contribute to a 70% combined disability rating.
In some cases, the VA can allow for a TDIU claim even if you would not otherwise qualify for it based on the schedular TDIU calculations above if your disability is still keeping you from substantially gainful employment. In these situations, it is helpful to have the assistance of a VA disability lawyer who can make the most persuasive argument on your behalf for why the VA should give you an extraschedular TDIU award.
Our team of dedicated VA disability benefits attorneys at Stone Rose Law has the knowledge and experience to help you with all your disability benefits claims, including claims for IBS. Whether it is an initial application for benefits or appealing a claim denial, our attorneys are ready to help you obtain the disability benefits you earned.
Our attorneys are experienced in working with medical doctors, psychologists, and vocational examiners to obtain the most favorable opinions. Our attorneys have the experience necessary to combat these harmful examinations and to counter them with better medical evidence.
If you have never applied for VA benefits before, we will assist you at no cost to you in preparing and filing your IBS claim.
In March of 2024 the VA changed how it assigns disability ratings for IBS.
Under the old rating system, you could receive an IBS disability rating of 0%, 10%, or 30%. You may qualify for a 20% IBS disability rating today that did not exist when you initially made your claim.
You can appeal that original 10% disability rating in favor of a higher final disability rating.
To present a compelling appeal to a denied veterans disability claim, your VA disability attorney must thoroughly understand VA regulations and procedures, how the VA applies them, and the time limit you must work within. This is what a Stone Rose disability claim denial lawyer will do for you.
Our law firm is accredited to represent veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is admitted to practice VA disability law before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. When you hire our law office to represent you in your VA claim, you can be confident that your VA disability lawyer will have the experience, competence, and resources to fight for your claim aggressively throughout the VA appeals process.
If we win your appeal, we will charge a reasonable, one-time contingency fee based on your VA award.
If we do not win your appeal, you owe us nothing.
At Stone Rose Law, we are board-certified VA claims lawyers who serve on behalf of armed forces service members and veterans nationwide. Our VA-accredited attorneys provide affordable, high-quality legal assistance for veterans’ appeals.
Our veterans lawyers provide highly professional legal representation to military veterans, helping them through the VA process to receive all the veterans’ disability benefits they are entitled to. For more information about how one of our VA disability lawyers can help you with your VA disability compensation claim or appeal, request a free assistance consultation at (480) 498-8998. Or, if you prefer, you can reach us online to ask a question about veterans’ law and disability benefits or to set an appointment with one of our veterans’ lawyers for a free case evaluation.
