Guide series
VA Claims for Women Veterans: Complete Guide Series
Plain-English guides to VA disability claims that affect women veterans: military sexual trauma claims, gynecological and reproductive conditions, breast cancer under the PACT Act, pregnancy-related conditions, special monthly compensation, and the claim exam - each rule linked to its VA or 38 CFR source.
Overview
Start here: women veterans health basics.
Women are the fastest growing group of veterans, and several parts of the rating schedule and the claims regulations apply specifically to them. Those parts are rarely explained well anywhere.
Every guide in this series is built strictly from the VA's own published guidance at VA.gov and the federal regulations in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Each article links to the exact source it relies on.
These guides are educational. They explain what the VA's rules say - they are not legal or claims advice, and they are not a substitute for an accredited representative, who can advise you about your specific claim.
VA Disability Claims for Women Veterans, Explained
The parts of the VA rating schedule and claims regulations that apply specifically to women veterans: gynecological ratings under 38 CFR 4.116.
Read the main guideIn this series
Go deeper on your situation.
9 min readMilitary Sexual Trauma and VA Disability Claims, Explained
How the VA develops claims based on in-service personal assault: the markers rule in 38 CFR 3.304(f)(5).
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8 min readHow the VA Rates Gynecological Conditions
The gynecological rating schedule in 38 CFR 4.116: endometriosis, uterine and ovarian conditions.
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8 min readBreast Cancer and VA Disability Claims, Explained
How the VA handles breast cancer claims: the PACT Act presumptive list, how active malignancy and residuals are rated under 38 CFR 4.116.
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7 min readPregnancy-Related Conditions and VA Disability Claims
What the VA's regulations say about conditions connected to pregnancy and childbirth: why pregnancy itself is not a disability.
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7 min readSpecial Monthly Compensation and Anatomical Loss, Explained
How special monthly compensation under 38 CFR 3.350 works alongside a schedular rating, including loss of a creative organ and surgical removal of breast tissue.
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7 min readThe VA Claim Exam for Women Veterans: What to Expect
What the VA's own guidance says about the claim exam, how the examiner's findings map to the criteria in 38 CFR 4.116 and 4.130.
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Guides on Women Veterans Health
You have taken the first step - keep going.
You now know more about women veterans health than most veterans filing a claim. When you are ready to see what your records support, phone discussions are always free.