Analogous and Equivalent Codes
Topics:
Analogous Codes
Equivalent Codes
Can't Find Your Condition?
Assigning Military Disability Ratings based on the VASRD is already complicated. To make matters worse, many conditions are either not in the VASRD or go by a different name.
Conditions that are not in the VASRD are rated “analogously” with a condition that is in the VASRD. “Analogous” in this case means the condition that is closest to the overall condition, that best describes the main symptoms, or that has the same treatments. For example, sinus headaches are not in the VASRD, only migraine headaches. If you have sinus headaches that are severe enough to be eligible for a rating, then they can be rated under the VASRD Code for migraine headaches, since that is the condition that is closest to your condition, and would be expected to cause a similar degree of disability.
Just because you weren't able to Find Your Condition, though, doesn't mean that it isn't in the VASRD. Often conditions have more than one name (sometimes three or four). This can get very confusing, so we’ve put together a list of “equivalent” codes on this page for the conditions that commonly go by other names as well.
For analogous codes, if your condition is not listed on this page, you may still be able to figure it out on your own. Simply find the code that best describes your condition. Often there isn’t really a wrong or right answer. Ultimately, it is the Rating Authorities who choose how conditions are rated, and they have the right to choose whatever code they want as long as they can justify it. Because of this, they may very well choose a different code for a condition than the ones noted here. These are just the most commonly used analogous codes. They aren't the only ones.
It is impossible for us to cover every analogous code or equivalent condition. If your condition is not listed here, feel free to Contact Us and let us know. We're more than happy to expand these lists. If nothing else, we can help point you in the right direction.
Analogous Codes
When rating a condition on an analogous code, the final code will most commonly look like this: 8099-8003. The first four-digits tells us that this condition is rated analogously. The second four-digits is the code the condition is rated on. To determine the first four-digits, take the first two digits of the second code and add 99 to the end. 8003 = 80__, and then just add 99 = 8099. Then add the second code to it with a hyphen between: 8099-8003. Sometimes the analogous code will look like this: 5201-5010. In this case, the condition is an injury to the shoulder (5201) that doesn’t meet the requirements for a minimum rating under that code, so it is being rated as traumatic arthritis (5010).
On to the conditions. We’ve listed the most common conditions alphabetically. If a condition is not in this list, let us know by submitting the form on the Contact Us page.
– Achalasia is a condition that limits the esophagus’ ability to move food down to the stomach. It is rated under code 7203, stricture of the esophagus.
– Acromioclavicular separation (a.k.a. AC separation, separated shoulder) is an injury where the clavicle is separated from the scapula. It may be rated under code 5003, degenerative arthritis, or 5010, traumatic arthritis, if the minimum requirements for rating under code 5201, limited motion of the shoulder, are not met.
– Anterior compartment syndrome is a condition where the muscles in a part of the leg swells, cutting off blood circulation to the muscles. It is rated under one of the leg muscle codes, depending on which muscles are affected. See The Foot and Lower Leg Muscles and The Buttock, Hip, and Thigh Muscles pages for rating muscles of the leg.
– Aphasia is a condition of the brain where you are unable to understand and process language. If it is caused by an injury to the head, it is not rated analogously, but is rated as a part of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) rating. If it is caused by an illness or other condition, it is rated under code 9326, neurocognitive disorder.
– Aphonia is the inability to make vocal sounds. If it is caused by nerve damage, rate it under the affected nerve. These can be found on The Cranial Nerves page. If there is no definitive physical cause, but is instead caused by a mental disorder, it is rated under code 9424, conversion disorder.
– Arnold-Chiari malformation syndrome is a condition where the brain is malformed, disrupting the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. It is rated under code 8003, benign brain growth.
– Arteriovenous malformation is a condition where abnormal connections between the arteries and veins form. If it occurs in the vessels feeding the brain, it is rated under code 8009, hemorrhage of the brain vessels.
– Artery stenosis occurs when an artery narrows, causing low or blocked blood flow to various parts of the body. Its rating code depends on the location of the narrowed artery. Vertebral artery stenosis, narrowing of the arteries in the neck, is rated under code 8008, thrombosis of the brain vessels. Renal artery stenosis, narrowing of the arteries of the kidneys, is rated under code 7534, atherosclerotic renal disease. For all other artery stenoses, rate them under the code that best describes the symptoms for the system it affects.
– Aseptic meningitis is a type of meningitis infection around the brain. It is rated under code 8019, cerebrospinal meningitis.
– Atopic dermatitis is a skin condition that causes scaly rashes. It is rated under code 7806, dermatitis.
– Avascular necrosis of the femoral head is a condition where the flow of blood is blocked, causing the bone to die. It is rated under code 5003, degenerative arthritis.
– Barrett’s Esophagus is a condition where abnormal cells form in the lower part of the esophagus. It is rated under code 7203, stricture of the esophagus.
– Behcet’s Syndrome is a condition that causes the blood vessels to become irritated and swell. Symptoms can involve the eyes, joints, mouth, skin and reproductive organs. It is rated under the appropriate code for the symptoms. For example, if the main symptom was joint pain, it would be coded 5002, rheumatoid arthritis.
– Blepharospasm is a condition where the eye twitches uncontrollably. It is rated under code 8103, convulsive tic.
– Carpal tunnel is a condition where the median nerve gets pinched as it passes through the wrist into the hand. It is rated under the codes for the median nerve.
– Celiac disease (sprue) is a condition where the lining of the small intestine is damaged by eating gluten. It is rated under code 7319, irritable colon syndrome.
– Cerebral aneurysm occurs when there is a weak spot in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain. This weak spot bulges out and pushes against the brain tissues. It can be rated under code 7112, small artery aneurysm.
– Cerebellar degenerative disease is a disease that causes the neurons in the brain that control coordination and balance to die. It is rated under code 8014, meningovascular syphilis.
– Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is an inherited condition that affects the peripheral nerves. It is rated under code 8023, progressive muscular atrophy.
– Chest pain that is not caused by another condition is rated under code 5321, muscles of respiration.
– Chondromalacia patella occurs when the tissue below the kneecap is irritated and causes pain. It is rated under code 5014, osteomalacia.
– Chronic renal failure (a.k.a chronic kidney disease, chronic renal insufficiency) is a condition where the kidneys fail to properly filter waste from the blood. It is rated under code 7502, chronic nephritis.
– Cluster headaches are severe pain in only one half of the head at a time. If it is caused by traumatic brain injury, it can be rated under code 8045, residuals of TBI. If it is not, it can be rated under code 8100, migraine headaches.
– Colostomy is a surgical procedure that routes the end of the colon through the abdominal wall. It is rated under code 7333, stricture of the rectum and anus.
– Complex regional pain syndrome (a.k.a. reflex sympathetic dystrophy) is a nerve condition where severe pain, changes in skin color, and swelling occur. It can affect any area of the body, but is most commonly seen affecting the arms or legs. It is rated as neuralgia under the nerve that is most affected. Please see The Central Nervous System page and the corresponding linked nerve pages for all nerve ratings.
– Any Connective tissue disease which mainly affects the joints and is not rated elsewhere can be rated under code 5002, rheumatoid arthritis. If it affects the entire body, it is rated under code 6350, lupus.
– A coronary artery stent is a tube that is surgically placed in the arteries of the heart to keep them from collapsing. It is rated under code 7017, coronary bypass surgery.
– Costochondritis is chest pain caused by the inflammation of the tissues that line the ribs. This condition normally only lasts for a very short time and so is not ratable. If it is chronic, however, it can be rated under code 5321, muscles of respiration.
– Crohn’s disease (a.k.a. granulomatous colitis) is a condition that causes the bowels to become irritated and swell. It is rated under code 7323, ulcerative colitis.
– Cubital tunnel is a condition where the ulnar nerve gets pinched as it passes through the elbow into the forearm. It is rated under the codes for the ulnar nerve.
– Demyelinating disease is a condition of the nerves that disrupts their communication. It is rated under code 8018, multiple sclerosis.
– Diverticular disease (a.k.a. diverticulosis) is a condition where pockets form in the walls of the colon. It is rated under code 7319, irritable colon syndrome.
– Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition where the tissues beneath the skin of the palm of the hand thicken abnormally, causing the tissues to tighten and restrict the movement of the hand. It is rated under code 5223, the freezing of two fingers of one hand.
– Dysarthria is a condition where speech is impossible because the nerve that controls the muscles used to speak is damaged. It is rated under code 8212, the hypoglossal nerve.
– Dysmenorrhea is a female condition that causes severe pain during menstruation. It is rated under code 7613, diseases of the uterus.
– Encephalopathy is a catch-all term for conditions of the brain. If the brain condition was caused by a traumatic injury and is not addressed on the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) page, it can be rated under code 9304, dementia due to head trauma.
– Fatigue is usually a symptom of a disease and is seldom rated on its own. If it is not caused by another condition, it can be rated under code 6354, chronic fatigue syndrome.
– Folliculitis is a skin condition where the hair follicles swell and produce a bumpy rash. It is rated under code 7806, dermatitis.
– Fugue is a type of Dissociative Disorder. It is basically amnesia that lasts for only a few hours up to a few days but can occur repeatedly. It is rated under code 9416, dissociative amnesia.
– A Ganglion cyst is a hard fluid-filled lump in the joints, most commonly the wrist. It is rated under code 5021, myositis.
– Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition where the acid in the stomach travels up the esophagus. It is rated under code 7346, hiatal hernia.
– Goodpasture’s Syndrome is a condition where the immune system attacks the kidneys and lungs. It is rated either under a code for the kidneys or a code for the lungs, whichever best describes the overall condition and its symptoms.
– Graft-vs-Host disease is a condition that can develop after a tissue graft or transplant, where the body rejects the new tissues. It is rated on whatever code best describes its main symptoms. So, if it was a kidney transplant, the most appropriate code would be a kidney code or a code that best describes the symptoms caused by kidney failure.
– Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a condition where the immune system attacks the nerves. It is rated under code 8011, poliomyelitis.
– Headaches that are severe enough to rate can be rated under code 8100, migraine headaches. If the headaches are caused by a mental disorder, they are rated under code 9422, pain disorder.
– Hemophilia is a condition where it takes a long time for the blood to clot. It is rated under code 7705, thrombocytopenia.
– Herpes, although rarely severe enough to be given a rating, would be rated under code 7820, unspecified skin infection.
– Hidradenitis is a condition that causes the sweat glands to swell. It is rated under code 7806, dermatitis.
– Horner’s syndrome is an eye condition that causes the pupil to constrict and the eyelid to droop. It is rated under code 6019, ptosis.
– Hypercoagulable state is a condition where the blood does not clot properly. It is rated under code 7121, post-phlebitic syndrome.
– Hyperlipidemia is a condition where there are high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It usually doesn’t cause any symptoms, and is thus not ratable. If, however, it causes heart disease, it is rated under code 7005, arteriosclerotic heart disease.
– Hypersomnia is a condition where you are excessively tired during the day. It is rated under code 8108, narcolepsy.
– Hypogammaglobulinemia is a condition where there is a decrease in gamma globulins, which causes the body’s immune system to not properly function. It could be rated in numerous ways depending on the types of symptoms present. We feel that it will most likely be rated as Agranulocytosis, code 7702, but this may not always be the case.
– Hypogonadism is a condition where the testicles in men or ovaries in women do not produce enough testosterone or estrogen, respectively. This condition can only be rated if both testicles or both ovaries are completely non-functional. If the ovaries are non-functional, then it is rated under code 7620. If the testicles are non-functional, it is rated under code 7523.