38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.117

Sickle cell anemia — VA Diagnostic Code 7714

Hematologic / lymphatic

Diagnostic code

7714

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38 CFR § 4.117 lists Diagnostic Code 7714 as “Sickle cell anemia.” Appendix B to Part 4 uses the same words. The code prints 100, 60, 30, and 10. The note says sickle cell trait alone, without a history of directly attributable pathological findings, is not a ratable disability.

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 § 4.117 source note prints 60 FR 49227, Sept. 22, 1995, as amended at 77 FR 6467, Feb. 8, 2012; 79 FR 2100, Jan. 13, 2014; 83 FR 54254, Oct. 29, 2018; 83 FR 54881, Nov. 1, 2018; 87 FR 61248, Oct. 11, 2022.

The rating criteria at each level

7714 Sickle cell anemia

Rating %: 100

Criteria (verbatim). With at least 4 or more painful episodes per 12-month period, occurring in skin, joints, bones, or any major organs, caused by hemolysis and sickling of red blood cells, with anemia, thrombosis, and infarction, with residual symptoms precluding even light manual labor

Rating %: 60

Criteria (verbatim). With 3 painful episodes per 12-month period or with symptoms precluding other than light manual labor

Rating %: 30

Criteria (verbatim). With 1 or 2 painful episodes per 12-month period

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). Asymptomatic, established case in remission, but with identifiable organ impairment

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
100	With at least 4 or more painful episodes per 12-month period, occurring in skin, joints, bones, or any major organs, caused by hemolysis and sickling of red blood cells, with anemia, thrombosis, and infarction, with residual symptoms precluding even light manual labor
60	With 3 painful episodes per 12-month period or with symptoms precluding other than light manual labor
30	With 1 or 2 painful episodes per 12-month period
10	Asymptomatic, established case in remission, but with identifiable organ impairment

Note: Sickle cell trait alone, without a history of directly attributable pathological findings, is not a ratable disability. Cases of symptomatic sickle cell trait will be forwarded to the Director, Compensation Service, for consideration under § 3.321(b)(1) of this chapter.

The 100 percent line says “at least 4 or more painful episodes.” The 60 percent line says “3 painful episodes.” The 30 percent line says “1 or 2.” The 10 percent line is an established case in remission with identifiable organ impairment. The code does not print a 0 percent line.

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. That sentence is the zero-percent rule. It is not a fifth line of DC 7714. The note about sickle cell trait is a different sentence. It says trait alone is not a ratable disability.

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.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.117, Diagnostic Code 7714, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Painful episodes

The 100, 60, and 30 percent lines count painful episodes per 12-month period. The 100 percent line also names where they occur, the cause, and residual symptoms precluding even light manual labor. The 60 percent line is three episodes, or symptoms precluding other than light manual labor.

Sickle cell trait

The note says trait alone, without a history of directly attributable pathological findings, is not a ratable disability. Symptomatic sickle cell trait is forwarded to the Director, Compensation Service, under § 3.321(b)(1). The note does not assign that case a percentage on DC 7714.

Anemia, primary

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309(a) says “Anemia, primary.” It does not say “Sickle cell anemia.” That chronic-disease row has no diagnostic code. This page does not assign it to DC 7714.

Evidence that speaks to each level

100, 60, or 30

What the rater needs to see. The episode count in the past 12 months, and for 100 percent the sites, hemolysis and sickling, anemia, thrombosis, infarction, and residual symptoms precluding even light manual labor.

Where that usually lives. The treatment record that documents each painful episode the line counts.

10, or the trait note

What the rater needs to see. An established case in remission with identifiable organ impairment, or the findings the trait note distinguishes from a ratable disability.

Where that usually lives. The laboratory or organ finding the record uses for that sentence.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
100, 60, or 30	The episode count in the past 12 months, and for 100 percent the sites, hemolysis and sickling, anemia, thrombosis, infarction, and residual symptoms precluding even light manual labor.	The treatment record that documents each painful episode the line counts.
10, or the trait note	An established case in remission with identifiable organ impairment, or the findings the trait note distinguishes from a ratable disability.	The laboratory or organ finding the record uses for that sentence.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Hematologic and Lymphatic Conditions, Including Leukemia” under Hematologic & Lymphatic. The file is Hematologic and Lymphatic Conditions, Including Leukemia.

The exam form

DC 7714 prints its own episode lines and the trait note. This page does not say the form replaces those lines.

Related codes and how they interact

The code prints its own percentages.

DC 7714 does not say to use another diagnostic code’s formula. The four lines above are the DC 7714 cells.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

Section 3.309(a) lists “Anemia, primary” and does not name sickle cell anemia. The 2026-10-01 text of § 3.309 does not contain “sickle.”

Short answers

What is the VA rating for sickle cell anemia?

Under 38 CFR § 4.117, Diagnostic Code 7714 is 100, 60, 30, or 10 percent, using the painful-episode and remission lines printed on the code. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Does DC 7714 print a 0 percent line?

No. The lowest printed line is 10 percent. Section 4.31 is the separate zero-percent rule for a code that does not print one. The trait note is a different sentence.

FAQ

How does VA rate sickle cell anemia under DC 7714?

The lines are 100, 60, 30, and 10 percent. The 100 percent line requires at least 4 or more painful episodes per 12-month period, with the sites, cause, and residual symptoms that line names. Three episodes, or symptoms precluding other than light manual labor, are 60. One or two episodes are 30. An asymptomatic established case in remission with identifiable organ impairment is 10. Education only.

Is sickle cell trait the same line?

The note says sickle cell trait alone, without a history of directly attributable pathological findings, is not a ratable disability. Symptomatic sickle cell trait is forwarded to the Director, Compensation Service, under § 3.321(b)(1).

Is sickle cell anemia the “Anemia, primary” presumption?

Section 3.309(a) says “Anemia, primary.” It does not say sickle cell anemia, and that row does not assign DC 7714.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 7714, the episode count, and whether the note about sickle cell trait was used.
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 hemic and lymphatic codes are on the hematologic and lymphatic 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 Hematologic / lymphatic, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Hematologic / lymphatic codes

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

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 7714 • 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.