Migraines can have a profound impact on the lives of veterans, affecting not only their quality of life but also their ability to work and engage in daily activities. Veterans suffering from service-connected migraines may be eligible for VA disability compensation.
Does My Condition Qualify?
VA recognizes various types of headaches, including migraines. These severe headaches may cause debilitating symptoms such as:
- Intense, throbbing head pain (usually on one side of the head)
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Nausea and vomiting
- Visual disturbances (aura)
If you’re unsure whether your headaches qualify as migraines, VA doctors will evaluate your symptoms and medical history to make a determination. You can also refer to our guides on Migraines Secondary to Depression and TBI Migraine to learn more about how these conditions might connect to your service-related issues.
What Is the VA Rating for Migraines?
The VA disability rating for migraines is 0%, 10%, 30% or 50%, depending on the frequency, severity, and impact on daily life and ability to work.
- 50% – With very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability
- 30% – With characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once a month over the last several months
- 10% – With characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in 2 months over the last several months
- 0% – With less frequent attacks
VA rates migraines under Diagnostic Code 8100 in VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) and the rating criteria focus on how debilitating your migraines are.
To receive a higher rating, such as 50%, your migraines must result in severe economic inadaptability. This means that your migraine headaches must frequently prevent you from working or engaging in other productive activities.
Prostrating Migraine VA Rating
One of the key terms you’ll encounter when filing a migraine VA claim is “prostrating.” This term refers to migraines that are so severe that you must rest or lay down, unable to perform daily tasks. If your migraines cause characteristic prostrating attacks that occur once a month, you may qualify for a 30% rating.
For those with less frequent attacks, VA may assign a 10% or noncompensable rating. To receive a 50% prostrating migraine VA rating, you must demonstrate that your migraines are frequent, severe, and significantly impair your ability to work.
Denied or Underrated by VA?
If your VA claim for migraines has been denied or you feel your rating is too low, you can appeal the decision. Get a free evaluation here – we specialize in appeals and will point you in the right direction even if we don’t take your case.
How Do I Get 50% VA Disability for Migraines?
To receive a 50% rating for your migraines, you need to provide thorough evidence showing that your migraines are frequent and completely prostrating, resulting in significant disruption to your ability to work. The key is proving that your migraines result in severe economic inadaptability, meaning they severely impact your earning capacity.
Steps to Take:
- Document every migraine attack, including how long it lasts, the intensity, and whether it required you to rest or miss work.
- Obtain medical evidence demonstrating the severity and frequency of your migraines.
- Provide statements from employers, family members, or coworkers attesting to the impact of your migraines on your ability to work or perform daily activities.
Even if you receive the maximum migraine VA rating of 50%, there may be opportunities to increase your overall compensation through secondary conditions or Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
Winning Case Example: 30% to 50% Migraine VA Rating
In this case, a veteran who served from 1996 to 1999 filed a claim for an increased disability rating due to her service-connected migraine headaches. Initially rated at 30%, the veteran believed that her migraines were more severe than reflected in the assigned rating. After appealing the decision, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals reviewed the evidence and ultimately increased the veteran’s migraine rating to 50%.
Why VA Granted the 50% Rating:
- Frequent and Severe Migraine Attacks: The veteran’s private and VA medical records demonstrated that her migraines occurred frequently—up to 20 times per month—and were severe enough to require emergency treatment, including intramuscular injections. The frequency and intensity of her migraines significantly impacted her ability to work, as she was forced to miss multiple days of employment.
- Impact on Employment: The veteran testified that her migraines made it impossible for her to maintain consistent employment. During a VA examination, it was noted that her flexibility and adaptability in a work environment were severely impaired due to her migraines. This contributed to the determination that her migraines were productive of severe economic inadaptability, a key requirement for the 50% rating.
- Prostrating Nature of the Migraines: The veteran’s migraines were documented as completely prostrating, meaning she had to lie down in a dark, quiet room to recover. Her migraines caused nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and noise, and incapacitation for several days at a time, aligning with VA’s criteria for a higher rating.
- Consistent Medical Documentation and Testimony: The veteran’s medical records, personal testimony, and statements from healthcare providers all aligned to paint a clear picture of the severity of her condition. She documented the impact of her migraines on her daily life, including how they interfered with her ability to care for her children and engage in everyday activities.
By documenting the frequency, severity, and economic impact of her migraines, the veteran successfully demonstrated that her condition warranted an increased rating.
If you’re seeking to increase your migraine VA rating, make sure to present documentation and prove how your condition impacts your daily life and employment. Our legal team may also be able to help you – with no upfront costs.
Content Reviewed by
Shannon Brewer, a senior attorney with Hill & Ponton, reviewed the information provided in this post.
