Does a Secondary Condition Have to Be Permanent?

Short answer

No. The secondary service connection rule does not say the condition has to be permanent. The word "permanent" does not appear in 38 CFR 3.310.

What the rule says

• "Except as provided in § 3.300(c), disability which is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury shall be service connected."
• "Any increase in severity of a nonservice-connected disease or injury that is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury, and not due to the natural progress of the nonservice-connected disease, will be service connected."

For a condition that was made worse, the rule also says VA will not concede aggravation unless the baseline level of severity is established by medical evidence (38 CFR 3.310(b)).

What matters is the link between the two conditions: caused by the service-connected disability, or made worse by it.

What you still need

1. A current diagnosed disability.
2. A condition that is already service connected.
3. A link between the new condition and the service-connected one. VA's evidence page says medical records or a professional medical opinion usually show that link.

VA's compensation law is for "disability resulting from" injury or disease (38 U.S.C. 1110), so a symptom with no diagnosed disability is not enough by itself.

If it improves later

VA can request a reexamination whenever it needs to verify "either the continued existence or the current severity of a disability" (38 CFR 3.327). VA will not schedule a re-exam when, for example, the disability is established as static, or is permanent in character with no likelihood of improvement (38 CFR 3.327(b)(2)). So a rating on a condition that is not permanent can be reviewed later.

Examples VA gives

VA's claim-types page gives these examples of secondary claims: arthritis caused by a service-connected knee injury, and heart disease caused by service-connected high blood pressure.

Where to call and where to go

Phone

• VA benefits hotline: 800-827-1000. VA lists the benefits hotline hours as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.
• VA main information line (MyVA411): 800-698-2411.
• Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7: dial 988, then press 1.

Official pages

• How to file a VA disability claim
• Evidence needed for a disability claim
• VA Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation (download or apply online)
• Types of claims, including secondary claims

Free help

An accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative can help you file a claim. VA says VSO help is free. Find an accredited representative.