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VA rating schedule, diagnostic code 7530
"Kidney disease" (also called renal disease) is handled by the VA under the genitourinary part of its rating rules. The VA notes that diseases of this system generally cause problems with renal (kidney) function, voiding (urinating), infections, or a mix of these, and when a diagnostic code points to one of these areas, only the main (predominant) area of trouble is used for rating. To service-connect a kidney condition, the general rule is that a veteran shows the disease is linked to their military service; the VA can also connect it on a presumptive or secondary basis (for example, kidney damage caused by service-connected diabetes is rated under code 7541, "renal involvement in diabetes mellitus type I or II," and rated as renal dysfunction).
Most kidney conditions are listed in 38 CFR 4.115b but are scored using the single "renal dysfunction" formula in 38 CFR 4.115a. Examples include 7530 (chronic renal disease requiring regular dialysis), 7533 (cystic diseases such as polycystic kidney disease), 7536 (glomerulonephritis), and 7537 (interstitial nephritis) - all of which say "rate as renal dysfunction." Under that formula, the percentage is driven mainly by kidney function measured by GFR (glomerular filtration rate): a 100% level applies for GFR under 15, for needing regular dialysis, or for being an eligible kidney transplant recipient; 80% for GFR 15-29; 60% for GFR 30-44; 30% for GFR 45-59; and 0% for milder findings like protein or casts in the urine with near-normal GFR. A kidney transplant (code 7531) is rated 100% after surgery and then carries at least a 30% minimum afterward, and a malignant (cancerous) genitourinary tumor (code 7528) is rated 100% during active treatment, then re-evaluated on what remains.
There is also an exposure pathway that can ease the "nexus" (link) burden. For veterans, reservists, or National Guard members exposed to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune who meet the service requirements, the VA lists kidney cancer as a disease that "shall be service-connected" even with no record of it during service, subject to a rebuttable presumption. A presumption like this means the VA assumes the link to service, so the veteran does not have to prove that part on their own.
This is educational information about how the VA's rules generally work - it is not legal advice, not a medical opinion, and not a VA decision about any individual claim.
Grounded in federal regulations and VA guidance, independently reviewed June 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a VA determination.
Across 16,735 real Board appeals for Kidney disease
A denial is often not the end either — remands (shown below) are sent back for more development and can still end in a grant. These are historical outcomes, not a prediction of your case.
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Among the appeals that were granted or partly granted, the most common ways Kidney disease was linked to service:
In appeals where Kidney disease was the only condition decided and the Board granted it, the rating most often assigned was:
These appeals involved a recognized exposure — which can mean the link to service is presumed, with no nexus to prove:
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic kidney disease, effective January 30, 1998. The decision is based on newly associated service treatment records that were not previously considered in the original denial of the claim.
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
The Veteran's disability rating for his service-connected left renal cell carcinoma was reduced from 100 percent to 0 percent, but the Board has restored the 100 percent rating effective August 1, 2020.
The Veteran's initial 30 percent rating for nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) is granted. The appeal of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is dismissed, as the claim was previously adjudicated and granted in a prior decision. The left knee Baker's cyst issue remains pending and requires further action.
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected, with a rating of 10 percent.,The Veteran's back disability remains at a 40 percent rating. The Board finds the evidence does not support an increase to higher ratings.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the femoral nerve in both lower extremities are each granted initial 20 percent ratings.,Service connection for GAD, bilateral hearing loss, and chronic kidney pain is remanded.,A compensable disability rating (greater than 0 percent) for chronic kidney infections is also remanded.
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and kidney disease, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.
Jump to the decisions from a specific year.
New decisions are added every week, and older years are actively being backfilled — a year that looks thin or missing here (especially 2011–2017) is a gap in our library, not in the Board’s decisions.
Veterans appealing Kidney disease often look at outcomes for these too:
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