How compensation can you get through VA disability erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD? What is the process to apply, what the percentage scores and how does the VA test for this condition? Answers to all your important questions coming up!
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It is common for veterans to experience many problems and conditions once they are done with their service. To help veterans cope with their disabilities, the VA, that is, the veterans association, pays these veterans.
VA disability provides compensation to the individuals that are unable to participate in gainful activity due to a disorder related to their military service. This compensation is given every month and is also tax-free.
Many people don’t know that they can get VA disability compensation for erectile dysfunction due to PTSD. While veterans get these compensations if they get any injury or condition while serving in the military, but you are also eligible for VA disability compensation if serving in the military has worsened your situation. We will discuss these conditions in detail in this article.
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder, also commonly addressed as PTSD, is a mental condition. How PTSD affects a person is very complex. For some people, PTSD can be very stressful and traumatic, but for others it can just be a normal situation which they get over quickly.
It is not necessary that a person must have experienced that stressful event themselves, as some people can develop post-traumatic stress disorder by just witnessing a traumatic event.
Some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are flashbacks of the event, high cases of anxiety, nightmares, and overthinking about the event.
Post-traumatic stress disorder requires some time to adjust to the situation. People serving in the military or those who have done it earlier are common victims of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Veterans can cope with PTSD with proper self-care, positive thoughts, and affirmations. In the worst cases, the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can last for weeks, months, and even years.
The amount of time this condition persists in an individual depends on their capacity of being able to move on from that traumatic event.
You might also like to read: Can You Get Disability For OCD?
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is also commonly known as impotence. It is the condition in which a man cannot keep their penis erect and firm for the duration of sexual intercourse. Men can have temporary erectile dysfunction from time to time.
During this time, it is not a cause for significant concern. But if an individual’s erectile dysfunction is a continuous problem during sexual intercourse, it can affect their self-confidence.
People who have erectile dysfunction also suffer from stress, and they are also low on self-confidence. Sometimes this condition can also be one of the causes of creating problems in a relationship.
Erectile dysfunction can also be an underlying symptom or cause of other physical or mental health condition. It can also be a symptom of heart disease.
You can also talk or consult with your doctor about erectile dysfunction. They will try to listen to you and understand you. Don’t think that talking to a doctor will be embarrassing as they deal with many such patients. In many cases reversing erectile dysfunction can be very simple and can be done with some medicines.
What are the Causes of Erectile Dysfunction for Veterans?
It is a common theme for veterans to suffer from erectile dysfunction as a part of their service-related issues. The VA gives out different disability ratings depending on the type of disability. This rating helps determine the amount of compensation that a veteran should receive.
If you have a higher VA rating, you will get a high amount of compensation, and if your VA rating or score is lower, you will get more little bonus. Male veterans can have erectile dysfunction as a physical problem because of working in very stressful environments.
If you want to get compensation for erectile dysfunction from the VA, you will need to prove that your ED is a consequence of serving in the military. The VA is going to consider erectile dysfunction as a service-connected disability if the following conditions are actual:-
- When erectile dysfunction is a secondary effect of a primary disease such as PTSD.
- In case your erectile dysfunction is a side effect of medication that you take to treat your service-related problems. Some common examples of such conditions are anxiety, depression, and diabetes.
- You can also get service-connected disability benefits if your erectile dysfunction is because of a physical problem or injury while serving in the military. These injuries can be anything from the lower body, testicles, groin, and penis.
Can ED have a secondary service connection to PTSD?
Yes, erectile dysfunction can be a secondary condition to post-traumatic stress disorder. There are a lot of instances where a person has erectile dysfunction because of the emotional stress that comes along with working for the military.
Suppose a person has erectile dysfunction due to any mental, emotional, and physical injuries suffered by the person while serving in the military. The VA does not directly classify a person for disability benefits because they have erectile dysfunction. The VA rating and the codes are given in detail below.
Generally, the VA will grant a person a 0% disability rating. Even at a 0% rating, veterans are liable to get monthly compensation for losing a creative organ.
You might also like to read: Benefits For Veterans With Service-Connected Disabilities
VA Disability Erectile Dysfunction Secondary Service Connection to PTSD
Yes, people believe that there is a connection between erectile dysfunction and PTSD. Veterans have a higher rate of erectile sexual dysfunctions because of working in a stressful environment for a longer time.
According to a research study, among male combat veterans that have PTSD, 85% of the people had erectile sexual dysfunctions, and 22% of the individuals didn’t have any other mental health diagnosis.
Yes, there is a connection between these two conditions, as erectile dysfunction can be present because of some trauma caused by post-traumatic stress disorder.
How Much Does The VA Rate ED Secondary to PTSD?
The VA rates the disabilities based on their severity and impact on your life. These ratings will also decide the compensation amount you are going to get. The VA ratings can range from 0% and go to as high as 100%. 0% indicates no disability, whereas 100% indicates total disability.
Erectile dysfunction is different from other disabilities; it is not given a rating schedule. But instead, there are other methods to determine the compensation for it. These methods are:-
- Diagnostic Code 7520 indicates partial removal of the penis from the body. This condition will give a VA rating of 30% to the victim.
- The diagnostic code 7521 means removals of the glans. This disability will get you a rating of 20%.
- Diagnostic Code 7522 means that the patient has erectile dysfunction due to physical deformity. It will get you a disability rating of 20%.
- A diagnostic code 7523 means atrophy of the testicles due to a lack of testosterone. The patient will get a disability rating of 20% if this condition affects both testicles and a rating of 0% if it only affects one testicle.
- Code 7524 indicates the removal of testicles from the body. The victim of this condition will get a 20% disability rating if both testicles are removed and will get a rating of 0% if only one of them is removed.
If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction due to any other condition other than the ones given above, you can still be eligible for disability benefits by the VA.
Can You Get VA Disability Benefits Pay for Erectile Dysfunction?
Yes, you can get VA disability benefits for erectile dysfunction if erectile dysfunction is a secondary effect of another cause. Veterans with a VA score or rating of 0% can still get compensation for erectile dysfunction. 8
If you want to prove your military service connection of erectile dysfunction to get the benefits of the VA disability, then there are a few things that you should keep in mind. You will need to show that it is a condition that relates to some traumatic instance that happened while you were still serving in the military.
Other than that, you can also show erectile dysfunction as a symptom of some illness or injury while serving in the military.
How can You Apply for VA Disability for Erectile Dysfunction?
If you wish to apply yourself for VA disability for erectile dysfunction, you will need three things. These three things are any evidence of the injury, event, or illness that occurred during your time of service.
Then you’ll have to explain how this event, illness, or injury relates to your erectile dysfunction. You should also have a recent diagnosis of your condition done by a doctor or medical professional. Then you’ll need to demonstrate the cause and effect relationship between your situation and the event.
How does the VA test for erectile dysfunction?
If a veteran wants to avail the benefits of VA disability, then they should submit a diagnosis that proves they suffer from erectile dysfunction. The veteran should also establish a connection between the condition and their service, and this is done to confirm that the need arose because of their service and related incidents.
In the majority of the cases of VA disability, erectile dysfunction is a secondary condition that connects to a primary psychological or physical condition. Here are a few things that the veteran should submit to establish their claim:-
- Submit current medical records after a thorough examination. It should also have a statement that says that your erectile dysfunction results from some other primary disability.
- The veteran should also submit their service records so that the VA can match the timeline of the condition and the service.
You might also like to read: Can You Lose VA Disability Benefits?
How much does the VA pay for erectile dysfunction?
Veterans having erectile dysfunction directly qualify to get monthly compensation given out by VA. The VA hands out these compensations even to individuals with a 0% rating on the VA disability chart.
This is done as erectile dysfunction is equivalent to the loss of an organ. As of Dec’017, the monthly compensation for patients with erectile dysfunction is 111.74$ a month. The VA classifies erectile dysfunction as the loss of a creative organ.
What Can You Do When You Are Denied VA Disability for ED?
If for some reason, you are unable to get the disability grant for erectile dysfunction from the VA, then you can try and hire some law attorneys. They will help you draft your application to the VA with all the proper paperwork. The law attorneys will help you form a decent case for you in front of the VA.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are secondary disabilities to PTSD?
There are a lot of secondary disabilities that are associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Conditions such as sleep disorders, hypertension, migraines, GERD, erectile dysfunction, and so on are all examples of such conditions.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder that directly affects the mind. Since it affects the mind, the individual cannot work correctly, often not being able to sleep and focus on work.
Can VA Disability Erectile Dysfunction Be Secondary To Hypertension?
Yes, erectile dysfunction can also be a secondary condition to hypertension. Hypertension is a condition where an individual goes through a lot of tension and has a habit of overthinking things. Hypertension can also occur because of heart disease, kidney issues, and even some metabolic syndromes.
Is VA disability erectile dysfunction secondary to sleep apnea?
Erectile dysfunction can also occur in an individual due to a lack of sleep. Lack of sleep due to sleep apnea is also a significant concern among veterans. People suffering from loss of sleep can also lose their sexual functions.
Some people also believe that sleep deprivation is among the key factors leading to erectile dysfunction in individuals. So we can confirm that erectile dysfunction is secondary to sleep apnea.
Wrap Up
Erectile dysfunction and post-traumatic stress disorder are two very close conditions. Erectile dysfunction can also be seen as losing a working organ in the body. In most cases, it can go back to normal once the individual gets over the traumatic events.
The VA does give compensation for erectile dysfunction to veterans even if they have a 0% score. Thank you for reading, we hope we covered all that you needed to know about erectile dysfunction as a secondary to PTSD in veterans. Let us know if you have any doubts.
