It is not uncommon for veterans who have diabetes, take certain types of medications, or have high blood pressure to suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction. If you have one of these conditions or a similar service-connected medical condition which has a side effect of erectile dysfunction, your ED can be rated as a secondary condition. Here are a couple of examples: Many Vietnam veterans have diabetes because they were exposed to Agent Orange in that war. There are other veterans who—as result of their military service—take medications for depression or PTSD. Erectile dysfunction can be the side effect of diabetes and some psychiatric drugs.
In its regulations, the Department of Veterans Affairs classifies erectile dysfunction under a category called “loss of a creative organ.” Creative organs are reproductive organs like testicles and ovaries, and other parts of the human reproductive system.
When the VA grants service-connection for ED, it often rates it at zero percent but they can classify it under a category called Special Monthly Compensation. SMC benefits for conditions like ED are paid in addition to any service-connected compensation you may have. Special Monthly Compensation is not based on a disability’s effects on your ability to earn a living but, rather, it is designed to compensate you for non-economic factors such as personal inconvenience or difficulties caused by a disability. An SMC rating for ED will be designated as “SMC-k,” and will compensate you at about a hundred dollars a month.
Winning VA disability benefits for erectile dysfunction is often difficult and denials are common. However, they can be won if you provide evidence of an injury, an illness, or an event during your military service which caused your disabling condition and demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship to that condition and your ED.
If your VA disability claim has been denied, the team at Cuddigan Law can help. Call us at for a free evaluation of your case. We’re here to fight for your rights and we’re only a phone call away.
