On this page
- Crohn's disease VA rating criteria (DC 7326)
- What separates 30, 60 and 100 percent
- Crohn's disease after bowel surgery (DC 7329)
- One digestive rating: the anti-pyramiding rule
- How much VA pays for Crohn's disease
- How to prove Crohn's disease is service connected
- The C&P exam and the Intestinal Conditions DBQ
- Why VA denies Crohn's disease claims
- Questions veterans ask about Crohn's disease
- Sources
Crohn's disease is rated under the code that VA rewrote most completely in its 2024 digestive update. Before May 19, 2024, ratings turned on words like "moderately severe" and "pronounced" that left a lot of room for argument. Now DC 7326 counts daily episodes of diarrhea, looks at signs of systemic illness, and, most of all, asks what medicine controls the disease. If you take a biologic or an immunosuppressant, that fact alone moves you toward the 60 percent level.
This page covers DC 7326 word for word, the colon surgery code, how to show Crohn's is service connected, what the exam needs, and why VA denies these claims. Ulcerative colitis rates under the same code and has its own page, ulcerative colitis. The Board section further down shows how inflammatory bowel disease appeals, Crohn's and colitis together, have ended.
Crohn's disease VA rating criteria (DC 7326)
38 CFR § 4.114 rates "Crohn's disease or undifferentiated form of inflammatory bowel disease" at four levels:
| Rating | DC 7326 |
|---|---|
| 100% | "Severe inflammatory bowel disease that is unresponsive to treatment; and requires hospitalization at least once per year; and results in either an inability to work or is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain associated with at least two of the following: (1) six or more episodes per day of diarrhea, (2) six or more episodes per day of rectal bleeding, (3) recurrent episodes of rectal incontinence, or (4) recurrent abdominal distension" |
| 60% | "Moderate inflammatory bowel disease that is managed on an outpatient basis with immunosuppressants or other biologic agents; and is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain, four to five daily episodes of diarrhea; and intermittent signs of toxicity such as fever, tachycardia, or anemia" |
| 30% | "Mild to moderate inflammatory bowel disease that is managed with oral and topical agents (other than immunosuppressants or other biologic agents); and is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain with three or less daily episodes of diarrhea and minimal signs of toxicity such as fever, tachycardia, or anemia" |
| 10% | "Minimal to mild symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease that is managed with oral or topical agents (other than immunosuppressants or other biologic agents); and is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain with three or less daily episodes of diarrhea and no signs of systemic toxicity" |
Three notes follow the table:
- Note (1): "Following colectomy/colostomy with persistent or recurrent symptoms, rate either under DC 7326 or DC 7329 (Intestine, large, resection of), whichever provides the highest rating."
- Note (2): "VA requires diagnoses under DC 7326 to be confirmed by endoscopy or radiologic studies."
- Note (3): "Inflammation may involve small bowel (ileitis), large bowel (colitis), or inflammation of any component of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus."
What separates 30, 60 and 100 percent
The drug class. The 10 and 30 percent levels describe disease managed with oral or topical agents "other than immunosuppressants or other biologic agents." The 60 percent level is disease managed "with immunosuppressants or other biologic agents." If your gastroenterologist has you on a biologic infusion or injection, or on an immunosuppressant pill, the record should name the drug and say why it was started.
The daily count. The 30 percent level allows "three or less daily episodes of diarrhea"; the 60 percent level describes "four to five." Keep a symptom log for a few weeks before your exam. A count written down day by day is more persuasive than an estimate given in the exam room.
Signs of toxicity. Fever, a fast heart rate (tachycardia) and anemia appear at every level from 30 percent up: "minimal" at 30, "intermittent" at 60. Blood counts showing anemia are evidence for the higher level.
Hospitalization and work. The 100 percent level needs disease unresponsive to treatment, a hospital stay at least once a year, and either inability to work or recurrent pain with two of the four listed problems.
The levels do not always fit neatly. A veteran on a biologic who has three bad days a week, or one with four daily episodes on oral medication only, falls between rows. 38 CFR § 4.7 tells VA to assign the higher rating when the disability picture "more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating." Ask that the rating decision explain why it chose the lower row.
Crohn's disease after bowel surgery (DC 7329)
Under Note (1), a veteran who has had colon surgery and still has symptoms gets whichever is higher, DC 7326 or DC 7329. The resection code reads:
| Rating | DC 7329, intestine, large, resection of |
|---|---|
| 100% | "Total colectomy with formation of ileostomy, high-output syndrome, and more than two episodes of dehydration requiring intravenous hydration in the past 12 months" |
| 60% | "Total colectomy with or without permanent colostomy or ileostomy without high-output syndrome" |
| 40% | "Partial colectomy with permanent colostomy or ileostomy without high-output syndrome" |
| 20% | "Partial colectomy with reanastomosis (reconnection of the intestinal tube) with loss of ileocecal valve and recurrent episodes of diarrhea more than 3 times per day" |
| 10% | "Partial colectomy with reanastomosis (reconnection of the intestinal tube)" |
Small bowel resections, common in Crohn's, rate under DC 7328 instead. Fistulas that open through the skin have their own code, DC 7330.
One digestive rating: the anti-pyramiding rule
The digestive section opens with a rule (the first paragraph of 38 CFR § 4.114) that matters for anyone with more than one stomach or bowel condition:
Do not combine ratings under diagnostic codes 7301 through 7329 inclusive, 7331, 7342, 7345 through 7350 inclusive, 7352, and 7355 through 7357 inclusive, with each other. Instead, when more than one rating is warranted under those diagnostic codes, assign a single evaluation under the diagnostic code that reflects the predominant disability picture, and elevate it to the next higher evaluation if warranted by the severity of the overall disability.
Crohn's and IBS, or Crohn's and GERD, produce one rating under whichever is worse, raised a level when the combined picture is more severe. Conditions outside that list, such as loss of sphincter control (DC 7332), and problems in other body systems, such as arthritis, eye inflammation or anemia caused by Crohn's, can be rated separately when they rest on different symptoms (38 CFR § 4.14).
How much VA pays for Crohn's disease
At VA's rates effective December 1, 2025, a veteran alone receives $180.42 a month at 10 percent, $552.47 at 30 percent, $1,435.02 at 60 percent and $3,938.58 at 100 percent. When you have other ratings, VA combines them rather than adding the money; the combined rating calculator shows the result. A veteran whose Crohn's keeps them from working may also qualify for TDIU, which pays at the 100 percent rate.
How to prove Crohn's disease is service connected
Crohn's that began in service
The strongest claim is a diagnosis in service or symptoms in service that a gastroenterologist later diagnosed as Crohn's. Because Crohn's often takes years to diagnose, service treatment records showing repeated diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss or rectal bleeding matter even if no one named the disease at the time.
Crohn's after an infection in service
Deployments and field conditions bring gut infections, and there is evidence that an infection can come before the disease. Naval Medical Research Center researchers compared 3,019 service members with newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease to 11,646 matched controls and found that an earlier episode of infectious gastroenteritis raised the odds of IBD by 40 percent (odds ratio 1.40), with a slightly higher risk for Crohn's than for ulcerative colitis (Porter and colleagues, 2008). They left out infections in the six months before diagnosis to avoid counting early symptoms as infections.
If you had documented gastroenteritis, dysentery or traveler's diarrhea in service, put it in front of the doctor writing your opinion along with that study. An opinion that weighs your specific infection, its timing and your later course is what the Board looks for.
Crohn's diagnosed before you entered
Under 38 CFR § 3.304(b), you are presumed to have been sound when you entered service except for conditions noted on the entrance exam. VA can overcome that only with clear and unmistakable evidence that Crohn's existed before service and was not aggravated by it. If Crohn's was noted at entry, the claim becomes one for aggravation: that service made it worse beyond its natural course (38 CFR § 3.306).
Conditions secondary to Crohn's
Once Crohn's is service connected, conditions it causes or worsens can be added under 38 CFR § 3.310: anemia, inflammatory arthritis, rectal fistulas and abscesses, and depression are common ones. See anemia, arthritis, hemorrhoids and rectal conditions and depression. The opinion should cover aggravation as well as cause, meaning the condition would be less severe but for the Crohn's; an opinion that skips aggravation is inadequate under El-Amin v. Shinseki, 26 Vet. App. 136 (2013).
Crohn's is a structural disease with visible inflammation, so it is not covered by the Gulf War presumption for functional gastrointestinal disorders in 38 CFR § 3.317.
The C&P exam and the Intestinal Conditions DBQ
VA examines Crohn's with the Intestinal Conditions DBQ. Before the exam:
- Bring the diagnosis proof. The colonoscopy, endoscopy or imaging report Note (2) requires.
- Bring your medication list. Name every biologic, immunosuppressant, steroid and anti-inflammatory you have taken, with start dates. This is the single most important fact for the 30 to 60 percent line.
- Bring a symptom log. Daily diarrhea episodes, bleeding, pain and missed work for the last month.
- Bring lab results. Blood counts showing anemia, and any record of fever or a fast heart rate during flares.
- List every hospital stay. The 100 percent level counts them.
Raven Scan reads your medical records and pulls out the medication history, lab values and hospital stays that match these criteria. If you have a VA decision letter already, Raven Eye explains which rows of DC 7326 the rater used and what evidence was missing.
Why VA denies Crohn's disease claims
The Board section below shows what the Board found missing in denied inflammatory bowel disease appeals and why it sent others back. These are the patterns behind those numbers.
No link to service. Most denied claims fail on the medical link. Crohn's has genetic and environmental causes, and a VA examiner may say there is no way to tie it to service. A favorable opinion has to engage with your in-service symptoms, infections and timeline.
No confirmed diagnosis. Note (2) requires endoscopy or imaging. A diagnosis written in a primary care note without the scope or scan report can stall a claim.
No in-service evidence. If your symptoms in service were treated as a stomach bug and never followed up, lay statements from you and people who served with you about what happened, and when, help fill the gap.
The wrong row. Ratings that ignore a biologic or an immunosuppressant, or that read the daily count from a single good day, are worth appealing with your medication list and symptom log.
An inadequate exam. An inadequate VA exam is the most common reason the Board sends these claims back; the remand reasons below show how often.
Questions veterans ask about Crohn's disease
What is the VA rating for Crohn's disease?
Crohn's disease rates 10, 30, 60 or 100 percent under DC 7326. Mild disease on oral or topical medicine rates 10 or 30 percent, moderate disease on immunosuppressants or biologics rates 60 percent, and severe disease that resists treatment and needs a hospital stay at least once a year rates 100 percent.
Is Crohn's disease a VA disability?
Yes, when it is service connected. It has its own diagnostic code, DC 7326, and VA requires the diagnosis to be confirmed by endoscopy or imaging.
Does taking a biologic for Crohn's get me 60 percent?
It meets the treatment part of the 60 percent level, which describes disease "managed on an outpatient basis with immunosuppressants or other biologic agents." The level also describes recurrent pain, four to five daily episodes of diarrhea and intermittent fever, fast heart rate or anemia. If your picture comes closer to 60 than to 30, 38 CFR § 4.7 says VA should assign 60.
Can Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis be rated separately?
No. Ulcerative colitis rates under DC 7326 too, and the digestive anti-pyramiding rule allows one rating for the predominant condition. VA can raise that rating a level when the overall picture is more severe.
How does VA rate Crohn's after surgery?
If you still have symptoms after colon surgery, VA uses whichever gives the higher rating, DC 7326 or DC 7329 for large intestine resection. A total colectomy rates at least 60 percent under DC 7329.
Is Crohn's disease a presumptive condition?
No. Crohn's is not on any presumptive list, and it is not a functional disorder under the Gulf War rule. It is service connected directly, through aggravation of a condition noted at entry, or as secondary to another service-connected condition.
Sources
- 38 CFR § 4.114, DCs 7326, 7328, 7329 and 7330 (opens in a new tab), eCFR text as of October 2, 2026, as amended at 89 FR 19743 (March 20, 2024), effective May 19, 2024
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations (opens in a new tab)
- 38 CFR § 4.14, avoiding pyramiding (opens in a new tab)
- 38 CFR § 3.304 and § 3.306, soundness and aggravation (opens in a new tab)
- 38 CFR § 3.310, secondary service connection (opens in a new tab)
- 38 CFR § 3.317, Persian Gulf veterans (opens in a new tab)
- El-Amin v. Shinseki, 26 Vet. App. 136 (2013)
- Porter CK, Tribble DR, Aliaga PA, Halvorson HA, Riddle MS. Infectious gastroenteritis and risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. Gastroenterology. 2008;135(3):781-786. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2008.05.081 (opens in a new tab)
- VA disability compensation rates (opens in a new tab), effective December 1, 2025
- Intestinal Conditions DBQ guide