A VA convalescent rating is a temporary 100% rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after surgery or casting to treat a service-connected disability. This page draws every convalescent rating rule from Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), sections 4.30 and 4.29.
How Long a Convalescent Rating Lasts
A convalescent rating lasts 1, 2, or 3 months, counted from the first day of the month after hospital discharge or outpatient release, and VA can extend it. The 100% rating starts earlier, on the date of hospital admission or outpatient treatment.
VA assigns the rating when a report at hospital discharge or outpatient release shows that one of three situations in 38 CFR 4.30 applies. Hospital discharge here means a regular discharge or a release to non-bed care. VA assigns the total rating without regard to other provisions of the rating schedule.
The Three Qualifying Situations
The three situations are:
- Paragraph (a)(1): surgery that needed at least one month of convalescence.
- Paragraph (a)(2): surgery with severe postoperative residuals, listed below.
- Paragraph (a)(3): a cast that immobilized one major joint or more, with no surgery.
The regulation names these severe postoperative residuals under (a)(2), introduced with the words "such as":
- Incompletely healed surgical wounds
- Stumps of recent amputations
- Therapeutic immobilization of one major joint or more
- Application of a body cast
- The necessity for house confinement
- The necessity for continued use of a wheelchair or crutches (regular weight-bearing prohibited)
Outpatient treatment counts as well. Outpatient surgery qualifies from March 1, 1989, and outpatient casting qualifies from March 10, 1976.
Surgery for a condition that is not service connected falls outside 38 CFR 4.30, because every situation in the rule is tied to treatment of a service-connected disability. If the treated condition is not yet service connected, start with our service connection requirements guide.
The Three Situations and the Extension Rules
Every situation under 38 CFR 4.30 allows an extension beyond the first 3 months, and situations (a)(2) and (a)(3) allow a second extension with a manager's approval.
| Situation | Initial Period | Extension Beyond the First 3 Months | Extension Beyond the First 6 Months | Longest Total Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a)(1) Surgery needing at least one month of convalescence | 1, 2, or 3 months | 1, 2, or 3 months | Not listed for (a)(1) | 6 months (3 + 3) |
| (a)(2) Surgery with severe postoperative residuals | 1, 2, or 3 months | 1, 2, or 3 months | 1 or more months, up to 6, with Veterans Service Center Manager approval | 12 months (3 + 3 + 6) |
| (a)(3) Cast on one major joint or more, without surgery | 1, 2, or 3 months | 1, 2, or 3 months | 1 or more months, up to 6, with Veterans Service Center Manager approval | 12 months (3 + 3 + 6) |
38 CFR 4.30(b) requires full justification on the rating sheet for a total rating under the section. The longest totals come from adding the periods. Under (a)(1), the first 3 months plus a 3-month extension reach 6 months. Under (a)(2) or (a)(3), a further extension of up to 6 months beyond that 6-month mark reaches 12 months, and the Veterans Service Center Manager must approve it.
What Happens When the VA Convalescent Rating Ends
When a VA convalescent rating ends, VA follows the total rating with the appropriate schedular evaluation for the condition. 38 CFR 4.30 describes this arrangement as an open rating.
If the evidence is not enough to assign that schedular evaluation, VA schedules a physical examination. VA considers the exam before the total rating ends, so attend it if one is scheduled.
The termination of a convalescent rating is not subject to 38 CFR 3.105(e). If recovery is not finished by the end date VA assigns, send medical evidence of the continued recovery to VA.
To see how the schedular percentage combines with other ratings, use our VA disability rating calculator. If the condition is worse than the schedular rating reflects, our claim for increase guide covers that request.
Convalescent Rating vs. the 38 CFR 4.29 Hospital Rating
38 CFR 4.29 is a separate 100% rule with its own trigger and its own dates.
| Feature | Convalescent Rating (38 CFR 4.30) | Hospital Rating (38 CFR 4.29) |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Treatment of a service-connected disability resulting in surgery needing at least one month of convalescence, surgery with severe postoperative residuals, or a cast on one major joint or more | Hospital treatment of a service-connected disability for more than 21 days, or hospital observation at VA expense for more than 21 days |
| Setting | Hospital discharge (regular or release to non-bed care) or outpatient release | VA hospital or approved hospital |
| Start date | Date of hospital admission or outpatient treatment | First day of continuous hospitalization |
| End date | 1, 2, or 3 months from the first day of the month after discharge or release, plus any extensions | Last day of the month of hospital discharge |
Length of stay controls 4.29: the rating needs more than 21 days of hospital treatment in a VA or approved hospital, or more than 21 days of hospital observation at VA expense. The 4.30 rating turns on what the surgery or cast required.
The two rules also end differently. A 4.29 rating ends on the last day of the month of hospital discharge, while a 4.30 rating runs for its 1, 2, or 3 months after that month, plus any extensions.
Temporary 100% Compared with Permanent and Total or TDIU
A convalescent rating is a temporary 100% rating, so it is a different rating from a permanent and total rating or total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
The convalescent rating has a built-in end: the months VA assigns, any extensions, then a schedular evaluation. Permanent and total ratings and TDIU follow their own rules, explained in our guides to permanent and total VA disability and to TDIU.
For current monthly compensation amounts at 100%, see our 100% VA disability pay chart. For the benefits tied to a 100% rating, see our 100% VA disability benefits guide.
Evidence to Send with a VA Convalescent Rating Claim
A VA convalescent rating is established by report at hospital discharge or outpatient release, so send the records from that treatment with the claim. Include these documents:
- Hospital discharge report, showing the admission and discharge dates that set the start of the rating and the month the count begins.
- Operative report, documenting the surgery for situations (a)(1) and (a)(2).
- Outpatient release, for surgery or casting done as an outpatient.
- The surgeon's note on recovery and residuals: how long convalescence is expected to take, any cast or immobilization of a major joint, and any severe residual from the list above.
- Evidence linking the treated condition to service, if VA has not already service connected it.
Service connection needs a current diagnosis, an in-service event or injury, and a medical nexus between them. Our service connection guide explains each one.
VA decides whether a surgery or cast meets 38 CFR 4.30, and no form or guide can promise that result. Gather the discharge report or outpatient release, the operative report, and the surgeon's note. Then submit them by following our guide on how to file a VA claim.
This page is general information about VA disability ratings and is not legal or financial advice. rankandpay.org is informational and not affiliated with the VA.