One of the most common surprises veterans run into: two 30% ratings don't add up to 60%. VA's math works differently, and understanding it actually matters — it affects how you think about a rating increase claim.
Why VA doesn't just add your percentages together
VA uses what's sometimes called "whole person theory." Think of your body as 100% able-bodied. Your first rated condition is subtracted from that 100% — so a 30% rating leaves you at 70% "remaining efficiency." Your second condition is then applied to what's left, not to the original 100%. Then the results are combined using VA's official Combined Ratings Table, and the final number is rounded to the nearest 10%.
A quick example
Two separate 10% ratings don't combine to 20% — they combine to 19% under the table's math, and VA's own rounding rule takes that 19% up to 20% only at the very end. With more conditions, or higher individual percentages, the gap between "simple addition" and VA's actual combined rating can be significant — usually lower than veterans expect, which is often the first thing worth explaining clearly.
The math, step by step
A rating increase is a different kind of claim than an appeal
If a service-connected condition has gotten worse since your last rating, you're not appealing anything — you're filing a new claim for an increased evaluation of that same condition. It typically involves a fresh C&P exam, and it's evaluated against VA's specific rating criteria for that condition, not against your history. (If VA got the original decision wrong, that's an appeal instead — here are your three appeal options.)
Your total rating isn't just a number — it's what your compensation is based on
VA's monthly compensation rates are tied directly to your combined rating (and whether you have dependents), and those rates are adjusted annually. Because the rate table changes from year to year, we'd rather point veterans to VA's current published rates than publish a number here that could be a year out of date by the time someone reads it.
Why this matters for your case
Understanding how the combined ratings table works helps explain something veterans ask us constantly: "why isn't my rating higher, when I have three service-connected conditions?" It's rarely that VA made an error in the math — more often, it's whether each individual condition was rated accurately in the first place. That's usually where the real opportunity is. Learn more about our VA disability rating increases and appeals work.