About VA Disability Hub

Why This Site Exists

The VA disability system is one of the most consequential — and one of the most confusing — benefits programs in the country. A correct rating can be the difference between thousands of dollars a month, access to health care, vocational rehabilitation, dependent education benefits, property-tax exemptions, and dozens of other downstream programs. An incorrect or under-rated decision quietly costs a veteran for the rest of their life.

Most veterans we hear from are not looking for legal representation. They are looking for plain-language answers: what does a 70% rating actually mean for me, how does the VA combine multiple ratings, how do I link a secondary condition like sleep apnea to a back injury, what does a C&P examiner look for, and how much will my monthly check actually be. Those questions deserve answers that are accurate, current, and free of upsells.

VA Disability Hub was built to be that answer. Every guide on this site is written for a veteran who is starting from zero, and every number on this site is sourced directly from the VA, the Code of Federal Regulations, or the Federal Register.

Who Runs VA Disability Hub

VA Disability Hub is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, any branch of the military, any law firm, any claims-shark organization, or any VSO. It is also not a lead-generation funnel for a paid claims service — we will never sell your contact information, and we do not earn commissions for sending you to attorneys.

The site is founder-led by Kory Kehl, a software engineer from Saratoga Springs, Utah, who built the calculator, publishing system, and site infrastructure after seeing how hard it was for veterans in his own orbit to get straightforward answers about ratings, compensation, and claims. Kory is not a lawyer, doctor, or VA-accredited representative, and the site does not pretend otherwise.

VA Disability Hub is also supported by a small team of veterans and reviewers who help pressure-test the content against lived experience and source material. We research each topic against primary sources, run the rating math by hand, and test calculator changes before publishing. When we are unsure about something, we say so explicitly rather than guessing. Meet the team.

Editorial Process

Every condition guide, claims guide, ratings guide, and state guide on this site goes through the same process:

1. Sourcing. We start from the controlling regulation in 38 CFR Part 3 or Part 4, the relevant VA M21-1 adjudication procedures manual sections where applicable, and current VA.gov public documentation. For pay-rate content, we work directly from the Federal Register cost-of-living adjustment notice.
2. Drafting. The guide is written in plain English, with every rating percentage and dollar amount cited back to its source. Where the regulation language is ambiguous, we describe the ambiguity rather than papering over it.
3. Review. A second reviewer checks the diagnostic code, CFR section, rating ranges, evidence requirements, and any worked math examples against the original source.
4. Publication. Once published, the page is timestamped with a "Last updated" date that reflects the most recent substantive review — not the deploy date.
5. Corrections. When a reader reports an error, we verify it against the source, fix it, and bump the "Last updated" date. We do not silently revise content.

You can read the full editorial policy for more detail on sourcing standards, conflict-of-interest rules, and our correction process.

Sources We Rely On

We work primarily from authoritative, public-record sources. The ones we cite most often:

• 38 CFR Part 4 — Schedule for Rating Disabilities, the controlling regulation for every diagnostic code on this site (eCFR).
• 38 CFR Part 3 — Adjudication, especially § 3.310 for secondary service connection (eCFR).
• VA.gov — official disability compensation pages, claim status, and benefits information (va.gov/disability).
• VA M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual for how the VA actually applies the regulations.
• The Federal Register for the annual cost-of-living adjustment that sets compensation rates.
• The Board of Veterans' Appeals decision database for context on how borderline rating decisions tend to go.

Update Cadence

Pay-rate tables are updated each December as soon as the new rates are published in the Federal Register, so the site reflects the new rates on the January 1 effective date. Condition and claims guides are reviewed at least annually, and immediately whenever the VA publishes a relevant rule change (for example, the 2021 sleep apnea rating revision or the PACT Act presumptive expansions). News items are dated, and older news is preserved with its original publication date so you can see when something was first reported.

How We Are Funded

The site may display contextual advertising via Google AdSense to cover hosting, research, and writer time. We do not run sponsored posts, paid placements, or affiliate links to paid claims services. Ads are clearly labeled and never embedded inside the body of a rating guide in a way that could be confused with editorial content.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

We have no financial relationships with law firms, claims agents, "claim sharks," medical nexus letter mills, or any organization that charges veterans for help with VA claims. We will never recommend a paid service over a free, VA-accredited VSO. If that ever changes, this disclosure will change first.

What We Offer

• VA Disability Calculator — calculate your combined rating using VA math and estimate your monthly payment with dependents.
• Self-Assessment Quiz — walk through your conditions and symptoms to estimate a likely combined rating.
• Condition Rating Guides — detailed guides for dozens of conditions including diagnostic codes, rating criteria, evidence requirements, and C&P exam tips.
• Secondary Condition Guides — how to link conditions like depression, sleep apnea, and radiculopathy to a service-connected primary.
• Compensation Rate Tables — complete and up-to-date VA disability pay rate tables.
• Claims and Appeals Guides — step-by-step walkthroughs for filing initial claims, supplemental claims, higher-level reviews, Board appeals, and PACT Act claims.
• State Benefits Guides — what each state offers veterans on top of federal benefits, and how to access it.

Important Notice

VA Disability Hub is an independent informational resource. We are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency.

The information on this site is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For personalized guidance on your VA disability claim, please contact us with feedback, or — for individual claim help — work with a VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization, attorney, or claims agent. You can find one using the VA's accreditation search.