Rating criteria · 38 CFR §4.114
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): VA Rating Criteria
The exact rating criteria below are quoted from the Code of Federal Regulations as currently in force, not paraphrased. Compensation amounts come from the current VA rate tables.
By Mario Bailey, U.S. Air Force veteran · current Air National Guard member. Data updated 2026-07-24.
Plain-language guide
What this rating actually turns on
The IBS rating is a calendar plus a checklist. Every tier of Diagnostic Code 7319 uses the same two-part test: abdominal pain related to defecation at a stated frequency over the previous three months, and two or more signs from an identical list of six (change in stool frequency, change in stool form, altered stool passage, mucorrhea, abdominal bloating, or subjective distension). The checklist never changes. The only thing separating 10, 20, and 30 percent is how often the pain comes: at least once in three months (10 percent), at least three days per month (20 percent), or at least one day per week (30 percent). Thirty percent is the ceiling; there is no higher schedular tier for IBS.
That structure rewards one piece of evidence above all others: a symptom record that covers a full three-month window. A single “IBS, symptoms ongoing” treatment note proves a diagnosis, but it cannot prove weekly frequency, and frequency is the whole ladder.
A worked example
A Gulf War veteran keeps a three-month symptom log before her exam. It shows abdominal pain tied to bowel movements at least one day in every week, alongside alternating constipation and diarrhea (change in stool frequency and form) and bloating. That is the 30 percent criterion satisfied element by element: weekly pain for three months, plus two or more listed signs. The current monthly amount for 30 percent is in the pay table on this page. If her log had instead shown pain on roughly three days a month, the identical diagnosis and identical checklist would rate 20 percent, the tier is set purely by the calendar. Her Gulf War service matters for a different reason: the code’s own note says it may cover functional digestive disorders under 38 CFR 3.317, the presumptive route that can carry service connection when no diagnosed cause explains the symptoms. Our Gulf War Illness guide covers that path.
If the decision came back lower
A lower rating here usually means VA read frequency differently than your record shows. If a three-month log or treatment history documenting weekly pain was already in the file, ask for a Higher-Level Review. If no evidence pinned down frequency, build the log first and file a Supplemental Claim, because under DC 7319 the frequency finding is the rating.
Rating criteria from the CFR
| Rating criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Abdominal pain related to defecation at least one day per week during the previous three months; and two or more of the following: (1) change in stool frequency, (2) change in stool form, (3) altered stool passage (straining and/or urgency), (4) mucorrhea, (5) abdominal bloating, or (6) subjective distension | |
| Abdominal pain related to defecation for at least three days per month during the previous three months; and two or more of the following: (1) change in stool frequency, (2) change in stool form, (3) altered stool passage (straining and/or urgency), (4) mucorrhea, (5) abdominal bloating, or (6) subjective distension | |
| Abdominal pain related to defecation at least once during the previous three months; and two or more of the following: (1) change in stool frequency, (2) change in stool form, (3) altered stool passage (straining and/or urgency), (4) mucorrhea, (5) abdominal bloating, or (6) subjective distension |
Note: This diagnostic code may include functional digestive disorders (see § 3.317 of this chapter), such as dyspepsia, functional bloating and constipation, and diarrhea. Evaluate other symptoms of a functional digestive disorder not encompassed by this diagnostic code under the appropriate diagnostic code, to include gastrointestinal dysmotility syndrome (DC 7356), following the general principles of § 4.14 and this section.
SOURCE: eCFR, 38 CFR Part 4 (issue date 2026-07-13, current through 2026-07-24) · retrieved 2026-07-28
Regulation text
38 CFR §4.114, Schedule of ratings—digestive system.
Do not combine ratings under diagnostic codes 7301 through 7329 inclusive, 7331, 7342, 7345 through 7350 inclusive, 7352, and 7355 through 7357 inclusive, with each other. Instead, when more than one rating is warranted under those diagnostic codes, assign a single evaluation under the diagnostic code that reflects the predominant disability picture, and elevate it to the next higher evaluation if warranted by the severity of the overall disability.
Monthly compensation at each rating level
Veteran-alone amounts, effective 2025-12-01. Dependents increase these amounts at 30% and above, use the combined rating calculator for your exact situation, especially if this isn't your only rated condition.
| Rating | Monthly (veteran alone) |
|---|---|
| $552.47 | |
| $356.66 | |
| $180.42 |
SOURCE: VA compensation rate tables, va.gov · retrieved 2026-07-28 · effective 2025-12-01
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest VA rating for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)?
Under 38 CFR §4.114, the highest schedular rating for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is 30%, which pays $552.47 a month for a veteran with no dependents on the current rate tables (effective 2025-12-01). Reaching it means the exam and records actually meet the 30% criteria quoted above, the diagnosis by itself does not set the rating.
What rating levels are possible for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)?
VA can assign 10%, 20% or 30%, depending on the severity your evidence documents. Every one of those steps has its own test in 38 CFR §4.114, quoted in full on this page, so two veterans with the same diagnosis can land at very different levels based on what the exam and records show.
If your rating came back lower than this
A decision that ignores the criteria above is a frequent reason veterans are underpaid. Line your decision up against the levels on this page. If the evidence supports a higher level than VA assigned, you have three ways to challenge it, and the right one depends on why it went wrong:
- Something was missing from the record (an exam finding, a prescription, a flare-up statement, a nexus letter): add it with a Supplemental Claim.
- The evidence was already there and VA misread it: ask for a Higher-Level Review by a more senior rater, with no new evidence needed.
- A legal or judgment error: take it to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
Line your decision up against the criteria on this page. Which review lane fits depends on why the rating is wrong: new evidence that was missing, a misread of evidence already in the file, or a legal error. All three are laid out in the decision reviews and appeals guide.
Before you file, recombine this rating with your others (VA math does not add ratings), check how long each lane is taking right now, and remember a VA-accredited representative or VSO will help you for free. You can also browse every other condition's criteria to make sure you are claiming everything you are owed.