What Is This Tool?

VA Condition Lookup is a free tool that translates the VA's diagnostic code rating criteria from dense legal language into plain English that any veteran can understand.

The VA rates disabilities using 38 CFR Part 4 — the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. It contains roughly 800 diagnostic codes covering every body system, from musculoskeletal injuries to mental health conditions. The problem? It reads like a legal document because it is a legal document. Most veterans can't easily parse the criteria that determine their rating percentage.

This tool fixes that. Search for any condition or diagnostic code number and get back:

• What the condition is in plain English
• Rating levels (0%, 10%, 20%, etc.) explained in everyday language
• What the VA measures at your C&P exam for this code
• What evidence to bring to support your claim
• Secondary conditions commonly associated with your primary condition
• PACT Act status if the condition is presumptive under the PACT Act

How to Use This Tool

1. Search — Type a condition name (e.g., "tinnitus", "sleep apnea", "PTSD") or a DC number (e.g., "6260", "9411") into the search bar on the Condition Lookup homepage.
2. Browse — Use the Browse by Body System page to explore all diagnostic codes organized by category.
3. PACT Act — Visit the PACT Act page to see all presumptive conditions for burn pit exposure, Agent Orange, radiation, and Gulf War illness.
4. Code Detail — Click any diagnostic code to see its full breakdown: rating criteria in plain English, exam tips, evidence suggestions, and related secondary conditions.

Data Sources

All diagnostic code data is sourced from official, publicly available federal sources:

• 38 CFR Part 4 — The Schedule for Rating Disabilities, accessed via the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) API.
• PACT Act conditions — Sourced from VA.gov PACT Act guidance and the VA's published presumptive conditions lists.
• Plain-English summaries — Generated using AI (Claude by Anthropic) from the original CFR text, then reviewed for accuracy. These summaries aim to make legal language accessible without changing the meaning.
• Secondary condition relationships — Curated from medical literature, the VA M21-1 Adjudication Manual, BVA published decisions, and veteran community knowledge. Each relationship is labeled by strength of evidence.

Coverage

VA Condition Lookup currently covers 724 diagnostic codes across all 17 body systems in the VA rating schedule, with plain-English translations for rating criteria, exam tips, and evidence guidance.

Who Built This?

This tool was built by a veteran who got tired of reading CFR legalese and thought other veterans shouldn't have to either. It's part of the RateMyVSO platform — a suite of tools for finding, reviewing, and understanding VA benefits.