Diabetes Mellitus Type II

DC 7913Endocrine38 CFR 4.119, DC 7913

A chronic condition affecting how your body processes blood sugar. The VA rates diabetes based on what treatment you require — diet, oral medication, or insulin — and whether it restricts your activities.

Rating Levels

Your diabetes requires more than one daily injection of insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities with episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring at least three hospitalizations per year or weekly visits to a diabetic care provider, plus progressive loss of weight and strength.

What the VA looks for

Multiple daily insulin injections
Diet restriction and activity regulation
At least 3 hospitalizations per year OR weekly diabetic care visits
Progressive weight and strength loss
Compensable complications

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not filing for secondary conditions — diabetes can cause peripheral neuropathy (all four extremities rated separately), retinopathy, nephropathy, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.
⚠Not understanding "regulation of activities" — this means a doctor has told you to avoid strenuous activities, and it must be documented in medical records.
⚠Not pursuing separate ratings for each diabetic complication — each complication can be rated under its own diagnostic code.
⚠Presumptive for Agent Orange/herbicide exposure veterans — if you served in Vietnam or other qualifying locations, no nexus letter is needed.

Related DBQ Forms

DBQ Diabetes Mellitus

View evidence checklist →See secondary conditions →

Condition Rating Guides

Understand what the VA looks for at each rating level — loading conditions…

Rating Levels

What the VA looks for

Multiple daily insulin injections
Diet restriction and activity regulation
At least 3 hospitalizations per year OR weekly diabetic care visits
Progressive weight and strength loss
Compensable complications

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not filing for secondary conditions — diabetes can cause peripheral neuropathy (all four extremities rated separately), retinopathy, nephropathy, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.

⚠Not understanding "regulation of activities" — this means a doctor has told you to avoid strenuous activities, and it must be documented in medical records.

⚠Not pursuing separate ratings for each diabetic complication — each complication can be rated under its own diagnostic code.

⚠Presumptive for Agent Orange/herbicide exposure veterans — if you served in Vietnam or other qualifying locations, no nexus letter is needed.