The DC 8100 rating chart (38 CFR 4.124a)
| Rating | Criteria — Diagnostic Code 8100, Migraine |
|---|---|
| 50% | With very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability |
| 30% | With characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once a month over last several months |
| 10% | With characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in 2 months over last several months |
| 0% | With less frequent attacks |
Source: 38 CFR 4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8100 — Migraine (eCFR)
Compare your last several months to the scale
The criteria do not measure your worst single attack or your best month; the 10% and 30% levels describe averages over the last several months, and the 50% level adds completely prostrating, prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. The chart on this page is the comparison to make.
Build the comparison from records, not memory: the headache log, treatment visits since the last decision, and any record of work missed. If the recent pattern matches the next level's wording, the record is ready to present; if it does not yet span several months, keep logging first.
Choose the route that fits your situation
If your condition has worsened since VA last rated it, the route is a claim for an increased rating. If VA has already decided the issue and you disagree with that decision, the decision-review routes apply instead: a Supplemental Claim introduces new and relevant evidence, a Higher-Level Review is decided on the existing record, and a Board Appeal is reviewed by a Veterans Law Judge.
The routes have different evidence rules and deadlines. Read the instructions in your decision letter and VA's review-options guidance before choosing, and consider accredited help for the choice — the wrong route can waste the evidence you gathered.
Evidence that shows change
An increase claim is a comparison, so the evidence should show both sides of it: what the pattern was when the current rating was set, and what it has been over the last several months. An updated log, records of treatment changes, and factual statements about missed work make that change visible.
Keep submitting records through the official channels and keep the confirmations. A status label in the claim tracker is not the decision — the decision letter is.
Increase-readiness self-check
Answer these against your records from the last several months — the period the criteria measure — before choosing a route.