VA Disability Rating for Sinusitis: 0% to 50% Criteria and 2026 Pay
VA rates sinusitis under diagnostic codes (DC) 6510, 6511, 6512, 6513 and 6514 in 38 CFR § 4.97. The schedule has 4 levels: 0%, 10%, 30% and 50%. The table below quotes each level word for word from the current CFR text and adds a one-line summary; the 2026 monthly compensation figures that follow are VA's published rates.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Criteria checked against the eCFR and Federal Register October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Sinusitis rating criteria in 38 CFR § 4.97
Diagnostic codes: DC 6510 Sinusitis, pansinusitis, chronic; DC 6511 Sinusitis, ethmoid, chronic; DC 6512 Sinusitis, frontal, chronic; DC 6513 Sinusitis, maxillary, chronic; DC 6514 Sinusitis, sphenoid, chronic. Criteria are quoted from the current CFR; the plain-English column is our summary and is not part of the regulation.
| Rating | Criteria as printed in 38 CFR (quotation) | In plain English (our summary) |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | Detected by X-ray only | Sinusitis detected by X-ray only. |
| 10% | One or two incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis requiring prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic treatment, or; three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting | One or two incapacitating episodes a year needing prolonged antibiotics, or three to six non-incapacitating episodes a year. |
| 30% | Three or more incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis requiring prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic treatment, or; more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting | Three or more incapacitating episodes a year needing prolonged antibiotics, or more than six non-incapacitating episodes a year. |
| 50% | Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or; near constant sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain and tenderness of affected sinus, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeated surgeries | Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or near-constant sinusitis after repeated surgeries. |
Note printed with these criteria (quotation):
Note: An incapacitating episode of sinusitis means one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician.
2026 VA monthly pay at each sinusitis rating
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0.00 | VA's rate table starts at 10%, so a 0% rating has no monthly compensation rate |
| 10% | $180.42 | Same as alone; spouse amounts start at 30% |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 |
VA does not add ratings together. When a veteran has more than one rated condition, VA combines them with its combined ratings table (38 CFR § 4.25), so the amounts above apply to a combined rating, not to this condition alone. Work out a combined rating with the VA disability calculator at /va-disability-calculator/.
VA disability calculator · Full VA disability pay chart with children and parents
How the criteria are written
One General Rating Formula covers all five chronic sinusitis codes, 6510 through 6514, so the levels are the same whichever sinus is affected (pansinusitis, ethmoid, frontal, maxillary or sphenoid).
The note defines an incapacitating episode of sinusitis as one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician. The 10% and 30% levels count both incapacitating episodes that need four to six weeks of antibiotics and non-incapacitating episodes characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting.
VA publishes Disability Benefits Questionnaires for this area (benefits.va.gov): Sinusitis, Rhinitis and Other Conditions of the Nose, Throat, Larynx and Pharynx DBQ.
Is this the current rule?
Source text. § 4.97 Schedule of ratings—respiratory system. from the eCFR (38 CFR Part 4), text up to date as of October 22, 2026, retrieved October 26, 2026. Read the section on eCFR.
Latest final rule affecting the section. 71 FR 28585 (final rule), Adjudication; Fiduciary Activities-Nomenclature Changes, published May 17, 2006, effective May 17, 2006. Latest entry in the section's amendment history in the eCFR. A nomenclature change; the criteria below date from the 1996 respiratory rule.
Rule that set these criteria. 61 FR 46720, effective October 7, 1996. The 1996 respiratory final rule set these criteria; CFR Appendix A dates the change October 7, 1996.
- DC 6510-6514: Criterion October 7, 1996.
Upcoming changes. Our Federal Register search on October 26, 2026 found no final rule for this section with an effective date after that day.
Proposed rule (not law). VA proposed revisions to the nose, throat and respiratory rating criteria on February 15, 2022 (87 FR 8474), with a supplemental proposal on September 12, 2024 (89 FR 74162). They are only proposals: they have not been finalized, so the CFR text above is the rule that applies and no proposed criteria are shown here. 87 FR 8474
Related conditions
- Asthma: Another condition rated in § 4.97, the respiratory system (DC 6602).
- Sleep apnea: Another condition rated in § 4.97, the respiratory system (DC 6847).
- All VA disability ratings by condition
Questions about the Sinusitis rating
What diagnostic code does VA use for sinusitis?
Sinusitis is rated under diagnostic codes (DC) 6510, 6511, 6512, 6513 and 6514 in 38 CFR § 4.97, the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The code lists are quoted from the eCFR text current as of October 22, 2026.
What are the VA rating levels for sinusitis?
The schedule has 4 levels for sinusitis: 0%, 10%, 30% and 50%. Each level has its own criteria, quoted in the table on this page. VA decides which level applies to a claim.
How much is VA disability pay for a sinusitis rating in 2026?
VA's 2026 monthly rates for a veteran alone, with the with-spouse amount for 30% and higher, are 10%: $180.42; 30%: $552.47 ($617.47 with a spouse); 50%: $1,132.90 ($1,241.90 with a spouse). A 0% rating is not in VA's rate table, which starts at 10%. Rates took effect December 1, 2025. The amount you are paid depends on your combined rating, not on this condition alone.
Are ratings for sinusitis added to my other ratings?
No. VA does not add ratings together; it combines them using the combined ratings table in 38 CFR § 4.25. Use the VA disability calculator on this site at /va-disability-calculator/ to see how ratings combine.
What counts as an incapacitating episode of sinusitis?
The note under the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis says an incapacitating episode means one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician.
Do all the chronic sinusitis diagnostic codes use the same criteria?
Yes. DC 6510 (pansinusitis), 6511 (ethmoid), 6512 (frontal), 6513 (maxillary) and 6514 (sphenoid) are all rated under one General Rating Formula for Sinusitis in 38 CFR § 4.97.
Does this page decide my VA rating?
No. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This page quotes the rating schedule and VA's published rates for information only; it is not legal or medical advice. VA decides the rating and the payment.