38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.79

Diabetic retinopathy — VA Diagnostic Code 6040

Eye

Diagnostic code

6040

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38 CFR § 4.79 lists Diagnostic Code 6040 as “Diabetic retinopathy” in the table captioned “Diseases of the Eye.” The rating cell is empty. The title has no period. The table opens with the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye. DC 6040 does not print an “Evaluate under” sentence of its own. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes the code as “Diabetic retinopathy.” with a period. DC 6006 is a different title: “Retinopathy or maculopathy not otherwise specified”. That title does not end with a period.

Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was up to date as of 2026-10-01 and last amended on 2026-08-27. The § 4.79 source note prints 73 FR 66550, Nov. 10, 2008, as amended at 83 FR 15321, Apr. 10, 2018. The § 4.75 source note prints 73 FR 66549, Nov. 10, 2008. The § 4.119 source note prints 61 FR 20446, May 7, 1996, as amended at 82 FR 50804, Nov. 2, 2017.

The rating criteria at each level

6040 Diabetic retinopathy — the row this code prints

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Diabetic retinopathy

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
—	Diabetic retinopathy

General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye — incapacitating episodes, the block that opens this table

Rating %: 60

Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring 7 or more treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months

Rating %: 40

Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 5 but less than 7 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months

Rating %: 20

Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 3 but less than 5 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 1 but less than 3 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
60	With documented incapacitating episodes requiring 7 or more treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months
40	With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 5 but less than 7 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months
20	With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 3 but less than 5 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months
10	With documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 1 but less than 3 treatment visits for an eye condition during the past 12 months

The DC 6040 rating cell is empty. The title does not end with a period. Appendix B adds a period: “Diabetic retinopathy.”

The formula’s opening sentence does not end with a period. It reads: “Evaluate on the basis of either visual impairment due to the particular condition or on incapacitating episodes, whichever results in a higher evaluation”

Note (1) does not end with a period. It reads: For the purposes of evaluation under 38 CFR 4.79, an incapacitating episode is an eye condition severe enough to require a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment purposes

Note (2) does not end with a period. Examples of treatment include intravitreal or periocular injections and laser treatments. The full note reads: Examples of treatment may include but are not limited to: Systemic immunosuppressants or biologic agents; intravitreal or periocular injections; laser treatments; or other surgical interventions

Note (3) does not end with a period. It reads: For the purposes of evaluating visual impairment due to the particular condition, refer to 38 CFR 4.75-4.78 and to § 4.79, diagnostic codes 6061-6091

DC 6006 prints “Retinopathy or maculopathy not otherwise specified” and does not end that title with a period. Its rating cell is also empty. It does not say “diabetic.” DC 6042 is retinal dystrophy, including retinitis pigmentosa and the macular-degeneration words that code lists. Those titles are not DC 6040.

38 CFR § 4.119 lists Diagnostic Code 7913 as “Diabetes mellitus:”. The public page is the diabetes guide. That title does not say “retinopathy.” DC 6040 does not say “Diabetes mellitus.”

38 CFR § 4.75(c) says that, subject to 38 CFR 3.383(a), if visual impairment of only one eye is service-connected, the visual acuity of the other eye will be considered to be 20/40. Paragraph (d) says the evaluation for visual impairment of one eye must not exceed 30 percent unless there is anatomical loss of the eye. Paragraph (b) requires a licensed optometrist or a licensed ophthalmologist. 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just. 38 CFR § 4.31 says that in every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met. DC 6040 does not print a 0.

DC 6006 is retinopathy or maculopathy not otherwise specified. DC 6042 is retinal dystrophy, including the macular-degeneration words in that title. Neither row is the DC 6040 title.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.79, Diagnostic Code 6040, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy not otherwise specified

DC 6040 says “Diabetic retinopathy.” DC 6006 says “Retinopathy or maculopathy not otherwise specified” and does not end that title with a period. Both rating cells are empty. The words are not the same.

Diabetes mellitus is DC 7913

The § 4.119 title is “Diabetes mellitus:”. The § 4.79 title is “Diabetic retinopathy.” This page does not treat one title as the other code.

Intravitreal injections are in Note (2)

Note (2) lists examples of treatment, including intravitreal or periocular injections and laser treatments. It says examples “may include but are not limited to.” It does not say those examples are required for every evaluation.

Evidence that speaks to each level

60, 40, 20, or 10

What the rater needs to see. Documented incapacitating episodes during the past 12 months, at the visit counts the formula prints: 7 or more, at least 5 but less than 7, at least 3 but less than 5, or at least 1 but less than 3.

Where that usually lives. The treatment-visit record Note (1) describes: a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment purposes.

Visual impairment

What the rater needs to see. The visual impairment Note (3) refers to §§ 4.75-4.78 and diagnostic codes 6061-6091, when that evaluation is the one compared with incapacitating episodes.

Where that usually lives. The eye examination § 4.75(b) requires.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
60, 40, 20, or 10	Documented incapacitating episodes during the past 12 months, at the visit counts the formula prints: 7 or more, at least 5 but less than 7, at least 3 but less than 5, or at least 1 but less than 3.	The treatment-visit record Note (1) describes: a clinic visit to a provider specifically for treatment purposes.
Visual impairment	The visual impairment Note (3) refers to §§ 4.75-4.78 and diagnostic codes 6061-6091, when that evaluation is the one compared with incapacitating episodes.	The eye examination § 4.75(b) requires.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Eye Conditions” under Ophthalmological. The file is Eye Conditions. The same list names a separate neurological form, “Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.” That name is not the eye form, and it is not DC 6040.

The exam form

DC 6040 prints a title and no percentage of its own. This page does not say the eye form replaces the general formula.

Related codes and how they interact

Two other retinal titles sit beside this one.

DC 6006 is retinopathy or maculopathy not otherwise specified. DC 6042 is retinal dystrophy, and its parentheses name retinitis pigmentosa, wet or dry macular degeneration, early-onset macular degeneration, and rod and/or cone dystrophy. DC 6040’s title is the two words “Diabetic retinopathy.”

Secondary conditions and presumptions

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “retinopathy.” Section 3.309(a) lists “Diabetes mellitus.” Section 3.309(e) lists “Type 2 diabetes (also known as Type II diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes).” Neither sentence says “Diabetic retinopathy,” and neither sentence assigns DC 6040. The public page for DC 7913 is the diabetes guide. This page does not assign DC 6040 to those names.

Short answers

What is the VA rating for diabetic retinopathy?

Under 38 CFR § 4.79, Diagnostic Code 6040 does not print its own percentage. The Diseases of the Eye table opens with incapacitating-episode lines of 60, 40, 20, and 10, or visual impairment under the sections Note (3) names. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Which schedule code is diabetes mellitus?

Section 4.119 lists Diagnostic Code 7913 as “Diabetes mellitus:”. That is not the DC 6040 title. The public page for DC 7913 is the diabetes guide.

FAQ

How does the schedule list diabetic retinopathy?

Diagnostic Code 6040 is “Diabetic retinopathy,” with an empty rating cell, in the Diseases of the Eye table. That table opens with the general formula. The incapacitating-episode lines are 60, 40, 20, and 10. Note (3) refers visual impairment to §§ 4.75-4.78 and diagnostic codes 6061-6091. Education only.

Is DC 6006 the diabetic retinopathy code?

No. DC 6006 says “Retinopathy or maculopathy not otherwise specified” and does not end that title with a period. It does not say “diabetic.” DC 6040 is the title that says “Diabetic retinopathy.”

Does the diabetes presumption name this code?

Section 3.309(a) says “Diabetes mellitus.” Section 3.309(e) says “Type 2 diabetes (also known as Type II diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes).” The 2026-10-01 text does not contain “retinopathy,” and it does not assign DC 6040.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 6040 and whether it used incapacitating episodes or a visual-impairment code.
The free worksheet is a place to write the code, the findings, and the records you already have. It does not file a claim or protect a filing date. An accredited representative is at find a VSO.
Other eye codes are on the eye diagnostic-code index.

Education only. Not legal or medical advice. My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative and does not file claims. VA decides every claim on its own evidence.

Other codes in this body system

Nearby catalog entries in Eye, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Eye codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 6040 • va.gov

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

This page provides general educational information based on public VA regulations and VA.gov resources. It is not legal or medical advice, and My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative. Any worksheets or draft documents produced by the tools must be reviewed for accuracy and are not filed with VA for you. Ratings and service connection are decided case-by-case from the individual record. Consult a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or qualified clinician for help with your situation, and verify current rules using the linked official source.