The VA has long recognized that diabetes, which is currently diagnosed in nearly 25% of its patient population, is a major cause of vision loss in VA patients. If you’re a veteran who developed diabetic retinopathy, you may be eligible for VA disability benefits. We’ll walk you through establishing service connection and everything else you need to know about getting the compensation you deserve.
Veterans’ Diabetes and Eye Conditions
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in your retina, the light-sensitive tissue responsible for sending visual signals to your brain. Recent research based on VA health records (published January 2025) shows that 20% of the veterans diagnosed with diabetes also developed diabetic retinopathy.
Symptoms and Complications of Diabetic Retinopathy
As diabetic retinopathy persists, the blood vessels will bleed into other parts of the eye. This may cause floaters (floating spots, lines, or rings in the field of vision). Without proper treatment in the early stages, diabetic retinopathy can cause more severe conditions of the eye like diabetic macular edema and retinal detachment.
Common symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:
- Blurred or distorted vision
- Dark spots or empty areas in your vision
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Eye floaters
- Progressive vision loss
Diabetic retinopathy can potentially lead to blindness due to complications such as:
- Diabetic Macular Edema: Occurs when blood vessels leak fluid into the macula, causing distorted and blurry vision
- Retinal Detachment: A medical emergency where the retina pulls away from blood vessels
- Cataracts: Clouding of the eye lens causing blurred vision and light sensitivity
- Glaucoma: Increased eye pressure damaging the optic nerve
Are You the 1 in 10?
10% of veterans are affected by diabetic retinopathy and require treatment to prevent the symptoms from getting worse. To get VA benefits, you’ll have to either prove that your diabetic retinopathy was caused or aggravated by the military service or establish service connection for the diabetes that caused the eye condition.
How to Service-Connect Your Diabetic Retinopathy
To establish a direct connection between a condition and your military service you’ll need three elements:
- A current diagnosis
- An in-service event or exposure
- A medical nexus linking the condition to the military service
But there is an easier path: veterans typically establish diabetic retinopathy as a secondary condition to their already service-connected diabetes. To succeed with this claim, you must provide:
- Medical records showing a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy
- Evidence that your diabetes is already service connected
- Medical documentation (such as doctor’s opinions) establishing the causal relationship between your diabetes and retinopathy
- Documentation of how your eye condition has progressed over time
Moreover, those who developed diabetes due to Agent Orange exposure can qualify for presumptive service connection.
Diabetic Retinopathy and the Agent Orange Presumption
If you were exposed to Agent Orange, you can service connect your eye condition through a two-step process.
Establish Presumptive Service Connection for Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a presumptive condition for Agent Orange exposure. With this presumption, you don’t need to prove that Agent Orange caused your diabetes – the connection is automatically established if you served in the specified locations during the specified timeframes.
Connect Diabetic Retinopathy as Secondary to Diabetes
Once your diabetes is service connected through the Agent Orange presumption, you can then file for diabetic retinopathy as a secondary condition. The VA will require a current diagnosis and medical evidence showing that your service-connected diabetes caused or aggravated your retinopathy.
Make sure the military records accurately reflect where and when you served. If the VA denies your claim stating you weren’t in a qualifying location, you will need additional evidence. Contact us for a free evaluation of your case.
What Is the VA Rating for Diabetic Retinopathy?
The VA disability rating for diabetic retinopathy is 10%, 20%, 40% or 60% depending on the visual impairment or the number of incapacitating episodes – defined by the VA as a period of acute symptoms severe enough to require prescribed bed rest and treatment by a healthcare provider.
- 60% rating is assigned for documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 7 treatment visits in the past 12 months
- 40% rating is assigned for documented incapacitating episodes requiring 5 or 6 treatment visits in the past 12 months
- 20% rating is assigned for documented incapacitating episodes requiring 3 or 4 treatment visits in the past 12 months
- 10% rating is assigned for documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 1 but less than 3 treatment visits in the past 12 months
The VA may also rate diabetic retinopathy based on its effects on visual acuity, visual field, or muscle function, if this would result in a higher rating than using the incapacitating episodes criteria. Find out more about how the VA rates eye conditions.
Getting an Increased Rating and Benefits
The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop diabetic eye disease and complications. In time, this can worsen, making you eligible for a higher rating to reflect the loss of vision.
Diabetic Retinopathy and TDIU
Diabetic retinopathy can also impact your ability to work. In that case, you may be able to obtain Total Disability for Individual Unemployability (TDIU), which allows you to receive 100% VA benefits (including vision care) even if your total rating is lower.
TDIU requires:
- A single condition rated at 60% or higher, or
- Multiple conditions with at least one at 40% and a combined rating of 70%
Special Monthly Compensation
Veterans whose vision deteriorates to the point of going blind, requiring assistance with daily tasks or becoming housebound, are also eligible for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC). This benefit is in addition to the VA disability compensation.
Has the VA Denied Your Claim?
VA disability claims may be denied because of:
- Procedural errors such as missing deadlines or improperly filed paperwork
- Lack of service connection – if you can’t establish that your diabetes (which caused the retinopathy) is connected to your military service
- Missing nexus letter – the VA requires a clear medical opinion linking your diabetic retinopathy to your service-connected diabetes
- Incomplete medical records – if your medical history is missing ophthalmological evaluations, the VA might not have sufficient information to approve the claim
By identifying and addressing the reasons for VA’s denial, you can overturn the decision and obtain a disability rating for diabetic retinopathy. You have 3 ways to challenge a denial or to increase an existing rating:
- Request a Higher-Level Review – Have a senior VA adjudicator reevaluate your case without submitting new evidence.
- Submit a Supplemental Claim – File a new claim with additional supporting evidence, such as an updated diagnosis, nexus letter from your doctor, or additional medical records.
- Appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) – Escalate your case to have a Veterans Law Judge review the decision and hear your arguments.
Get Help with Your Claim
If you were denied or underrated, an experienced VA disability attorney can help:
- Navigate the appeals process
- Gather more relevant evidence
- Develop a strong argument
- Ensure you receive the maximum rating you deserve
Hill & Ponton works on a contingency basis, meaning we only get paid if we win your case. We can fight on your behalf – with no upfront costs. Contact us for a free case review.
Content Reviewed by
Attorney Anne Linscott
Anne Linscott is an attorney at Hill & Ponton, P.A., dedicated to helping veterans secure the disability benefits they deserve. With a strong background in finance and law, Anne brings compassionate advocacy and a deep commitment to supporting those who have served.
