Claim Raven explanation
What this means
This short schedule addresses loss of the senses of smell and taste. It states the relevant evaluations and includes a note about the anatomical or pathological basis required for an evaluation.
A temporary change in smell or taste, or a symptom reported without the required medical basis, is not automatically the same as the disability described by the schedule. The diagnosis and degree of loss matter.
How this helps your claim
This helps you identify the medical finding behind the claimed sensory loss. Check what the clinician established and which sense or senses the decision evaluated.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Find the diagnosis and the degree of smell or taste loss documented.
- Locate the anatomical or pathological explanation in the medical record.
- Compare the finding with the exact criteria and note in this schedule.
Distinguish reduced sensation from the listed loss
A person can notice altered smell or taste without having the degree of loss described in the schedule. The medical evidence should identify the sense affected, the extent of loss and the anatomical or pathological basis required by the note.
Keep the onset and course accurate, including whether the change was temporary or persistent. A personal account can explain its effect on daily life, but it does not replace a medical finding about the required basis. Do not relabel partial change as complete loss to fit a percentage.
Does any change in taste or smell guarantee compensation?
No. The diagnosis, degree of loss, required medical basis and service-connection requirements remain relevant. This short schedule supplies particular evaluation criteria, not a rule that every reported sensory change is compensable. Compare the findings with the actual wording before drawing a conclusion.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 4.87a
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
Jump to a diagnostic code (2)
§ 4.87a Schedule of ratings—other sense organs.
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| Rating | |
|---|---|
| 6275 Sense of smell, complete loss | 10 |
| 6276 Sense of taste, complete loss | 10 |
| Note: Evaluation will be assigned under diagnostic codes 6275 or 6276 only if there is an anatomical or pathological basis for the condition. |
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1155)
[64 FR 25210, May 11, 1999]
Related references
- 38 USC § 1155: The law behind VA disability rating percentages
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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