Asthma evidence for a VA claim has two tracks: what a clinician prescribed and how you actually use it, and the breathing-test report, usually a pulmonary function test (PFT). VA's asthma rating code lets either track support a rating level, so the evidence works best when both are complete, dated and consistent with each other. A list of inhalers does not say what a test measured, and one test does not explain a year of treatment.
What the asthma rating code counts
VA rates asthma under Diagnostic Code 6602. Each level can be met by a test result or by the treatment or care the asthma requires.
| Rating | Breathing-test results | Or treatment and care |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | FEV-1 below 40% of predicted, or FEV-1/FVC below 40% | More than one attack a week with episodes of respiratory failure, or daily high-dose systemic (oral or injected) corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medication |
| 60% | FEV-1 of 40 to 55% of predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55% | At least monthly physician visits for required care of flare-ups, or at least three courses a year of systemic corticosteroids |
| 30% | FEV-1 of 56 to 70% of predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70% | Daily inhaled or oral bronchodilator therapy, or inhaled anti-inflammatory medication |
| 10% | FEV-1 of 71 to 80% of predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80% | Intermittent inhaled or oral bronchodilator therapy |
If the exam finds no signs of asthma that day, the code requires a verified history of asthma attacks in the record. VA proposed changes to the respiratory rating schedule in February 2022, but no final rule has been published, so these are the criteria in effect. The asthma condition guide covers service connection and the rest of the rating framework. If VA denied service connection for asthma itself, the asthma denial guide covers that question.
Record prescribed treatment and actual use separately
| Treatment | Prescribing clinician and date | Directions as written | Actual use and any change | Where the record is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rescue inhaler | ||||
| Daily inhaled medicine | ||||
| Oral or injected corticosteroid course | ||||
| Other asthma care |
If a prescription was stopped, changed, not filled or used differently, say so and discuss it with your clinician. Do not call a rescue inhaler "daily therapy" because you happened to use it often, and do not label an inhaled medicine as a systemic steroid without checking how it is taken. Never change treatment to influence a claim.
Keep urgent care, emergency and routine visits separate. The date, reason for the visit, clinician findings and treatment matter more than calling every visit an "attack."
Keep the full breathing-test report
For each test, note date | facility | where the full report is | whether before-and-after bronchodilator results are included | clinician's interpretation | related diagnosis. Copy values only if you can copy them exactly, with the report's units and whether they were measured before or after the bronchodilator. Do not convert a screenshot, a home device reading or a single number into a VA percentage yourself.
Fictional example: "April 14: PFT report, clinic portal document 3. Before-and-after bronchodilator tables present. Pulmonologist reviewed it April 20. Current inhaler directions are in the April visit note." The useful part is the link between the report and the treatment record, not an interpretation of FEV-1.
A real appeal: the exam said intermittent, the records said daily
In Board decision A25093744, October 29, 2025, the veteran already had service connection for asthma at 10% and appealed that initial rating. The May 2024 VA exam recorded intermittent inhaler use and PFT results of 60 to 77% of predicted FEV-1. VA treatment records, however, showed an inhaled medicine prescribed twice a day, and a November 2024 letter from his private pulmonologist described a controller inhaler used twice daily as a necessary part of his regimen.
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (the Board) granted an initial 30% based on daily inhaled bronchodilator therapy. It denied anything higher: the record showed no FEV-1 in the 40 to 55% range, no monthly physician visits for flare-ups, and no systemic corticosteroid courses.
The lesson is to reconcile the source records rather than argue about a number. If an exam says "intermittent" and the prescription says "daily," keep both, and ask the treating clinician to clarify the medicine, its role, dates and changes. If your actual use differs from the directions, say so accurately.
| Compare | Record to bring |
|---|---|
| The exam's summary of your treatment | The complete exam report and date |
| Directions in effect during that period | The prescription or clinic note, with dose and route |
| A change or apparent discrepancy | A dated clinician clarification and your accurate account of use |
What Claim Raven's Board data shows for asthma
In Claim Raven's analysis of 2024 to 2025 Board decisions, asthma was a decided issue in 577 condition records: 43.7% favorable, 41.6% denied and 14.7% remanded. Among 183 denied asthma records with a classified reason, 62.8% were denied because the severity criteria were not met and 14.2% for procedural or timeliness reasons, so most classified asthma denials in this data were about the rating level rather than the link to service. Board appeals are a selected group of already-disputed claims, so read these as patterns rather than your odds. The asthma case study follows one veteran through five earlier denials.
Put the two tracks together without interpreting a test
Make a one-page index with the newest prescriptions, test report, clinician interpretation and significant treatment visits first. If two tests differ, keep both and ask your clinician what they mean. If you have another respiratory condition, do not assume every measured limitation is asthma without a clinical assessment. VA explains that medical records, test results and lay evidence can all be relevant: your own note can explain when breathing symptoms interrupted work or activity, while a clinician supplies the medical findings. After an asthma increase denial, line the decision up with DC 6602 using this worksheet.
Claim Raven sells the C&P exam preparation tool offered on this page; starting needs a free account, and Standard includes the paid features.
Sources and scope
Checked September 23, 2026: 38 C.F.R. § 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6602 (eCFR, current through August 27, 2026); VA's February 15, 2022 proposed rule for the respiratory schedule (no final rule as of this date); the VA respiratory DBQ; VA evidence guidance; and Board decision A25093744. No individual test is interpreted here.
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