It is not uncommon for veterans who have diabetes, take certain types of medications, or have high blood pressure to suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction. If you have one of these conditions or a similar service-connected medical condition which has a side effect of erectile dysfunction, your ED can be rated as a secondary condition. Here are a couple of examples: Many Vietnam veterans have diabetes because they were exposed to Agent Orange in that war. There are other veterans who—as result of their military service—take medications for depression or PTSD. Erectile dysfunction can be the side effect of diabetes and some psychiatric drugs.
In its regulations, the Department of Veterans Affairs classifies erectile dysfunction under a category called “loss of a creative organ.” Creative organs are reproductive organs like testicles and ovaries, and other parts of the human reproductive system.
When the VA grants service-connection for ED, it often rates it at zero percent but they can classify it under a category called Special Monthly Compensation. SMC benefits for conditions like ED are paid in addition to any service-connected compensation you may have. Special Monthly Compensation is not based on a disability’s effects on your ability to earn a living but, rather, it is designed to compensate you for non-economic factors such as personal inconvenience or difficulties caused by a disability. An SMC rating for ED will be designated as “SMC-k,” and will compensate you at about a hundred dollars a month.
Winning VA disability benefits for erectile dysfunction is often difficult and denials are common. However, they can be won if you provide evidence of an injury, an illness, or an event during your military service which caused your disabling condition and demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship to that condition and your ED.
If your VA disability claim has been denied, the team at Cuddigan Law can help. Call us at for a free evaluation of your case. We’re here to fight for your rights and we’re only a phone call away.
Many Veterans have erectile dysfunction as part of a service-connected disability. The VA gives various ratings for this condition in order to determine the amount of disability compensation you will be eligible to receive for this affliction.
Causes of Erectile Dysfunction for Veterans
- It is a secondary effect of a service-connected condition such as PTSD.
- It is a side effect of a medication used to treat a service-connected condition such as depression, anxiety, or diabetes.
- It is due to a physical injury or trauma sustained during service that occurred to the lower body, groin, penis, or testicles.
ED Ratings Given By the VA
Disabilities are rated according to what level of disability you are experiencing. The rating determines your compensation amount. Ratings range from 0% or no disability to 100% or full disability. Unlike other disabilities, erectile dysfunction is not given a rating schedule but instead, uses the following to determine compensation:
- Code 7520 Partial removal of the penis. This gives a rating of 30%.
- Code 7521 Glans removal. This gives a rating of 20%.
- Code 7522 Erection difficulty due to physical deformity. This gives a rating of 20%.
- Code 7523 Atrophy of testicles due to reduced testosterone. This gives a rating of 20% if both testicles are affected and 0% if it affects only one.
- Code 7524 Removal of testicles. This gives a rating of 20% if both testicles were removed and 0% if only one was removed.
If your ED is due to a reason other than one of the above, and you are considered 0% disabled, you may still be eligible to receive disability compensation. There is another category called Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) which gives monthly compensation for the “loss of use of a creative organ.”
Proving Eligibility
If you suffer from ED, you will need to have the following to prove that you are eligible for disability compensation:
- Evidence that you suffer from ED
- Evidence that your ED is a service-connected disability
- Medical nexus from an expert that shows there is a connection between the ED and a service-connected disability.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
If you are suffering from a service-connected disability, the office of Sean Kendall, Attorney-at-Law, can help determine if you are eligible for compensation and answer any questions you may have about your disability claim. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
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