- Diagnostic Code
- 6846
- CFR Section
- §4.97 — Respiratory
Rating Tiers
100%
Cor pulmonale, or; cardiac involvement with congestive heart failure, or; progressive pulmonary disease with fever, night sweats, and weight loss despite treatment
60%
Pulmonary involvement requiring systemic high dose (therapeutic) corticosteroids for control
30%
Pulmonary involvement with persistent symptoms requiring chronic low dose (maintenance) or intermittent corticosteroids
0%
Chronic hilar adenopathy or stable lung infiltrates without symptoms or physiologic impairment
Rated Under Formula
This condition is rated using the §4.97 general rating formula.
What Raters Look For
Based on M21-1 adjudication criteria for Respiratory conditions. These are the factors a VA rater evaluates when assigning a rating percentage.
M21-1 III.iv.4.B- •Pulmonary function test results: FEV1 (% of predicted), FVC, FEV1/FVC ratio, and DLCO
- •Exercise tolerance in METs (metabolic equivalents) if cardiac limitation is also relevant
- •Frequency of exacerbations requiring medical visits, oral steroids, or hospitalization
- •Oxygen therapy use — whether prescribed and under what conditions
- •Sleep study results and AHI score if sleep apnea is claimed
- •Medication regimen: inhalers, systemic steroids, biologics
- •Smoking history (noted but not used to reduce rating)
NoteFor sleep apnea, raters look specifically at whether a CPAP/BiPAP is required — that alone meets the 50% rating criteria under DC 6847.