Let's say that you have an existing 40 per cent disability already and develop service connected Addison's Disease (adrenal insufficiency) that is rated at 30 per cent. You might thinks you overall disability rating is now 70 per cent, but that is not the way the VA's "fuzzy math" works.
Instead, VA calculates the impact of each condition, starting with the most severe, and determines what remains of a veteran's assumed "efficiency."
First the VA looks at your highest 40 per cent disability and says that means that 60 per cent of you is not disabled. It then look at the Addison's and determines that 70 per cent of you has not been effected by Addison's.
Multiply your undisabled parts (.60 x .70 and you get .42 per cent.) Subtract that from 100 per cent and you are now 58 per cent disabled. Round up to the next 10 per cent and you are officially 60 per cent disabled.
Watch out for primary and secondary conditions as well. If the VA can link a claim to another disability condition, you will probably only get the higher of the two ratings.
Lets say you are shot in the abdomen during war time and get a 30 disability for the war wound and damage to your pancreas.
You subsequently develop diabetes and get a 40 per cent disability. Because the diabetes is secondary to the pancreas wound, your overall rating will likely be no higher than 40 per cent.
You can find out more about the VA 'fuzzy math with this link to the Combined Ratings Table at: www.warms.vba.va.gov/bookc.html.
source: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,213091,00.html
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