GERD (acid reflux)

VA rates gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) under diagnostic code 7206. The possible ratings are 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, and 80%, and they are separated by how severely your esophagus has narrowed (stricture), how that narrowing affects swallowing (dysphagia), and what treatment is required to manage it.

A 0% rating applies when you have a documented history but no daily symptoms and no need for daily medications. A 10% rating applies when you have a documented stricture requiring daily medications to control dysphagia but are otherwise without symptoms. A 30% rating applies when a recurrent stricture causing dysphagia requires dilatation no more than two times per year. A 50% rating applies when a recurrent or refractory stricture requires dilatation three or more times per year, dilatation using steroids at least once per year, or esophageal stent placement. An 80% rating applies when a recurrent or refractory stricture causes dysphagia along with aspiration, undernutrition, or substantial weight loss as defined by regulation, and treatment has involved surgical correction or a PEG tube. All findings must be documented by barium swallow, CT scan, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.