Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01332:front:0:p9
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01332
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 25959–29021

medical and other material that, of necessity, relates to a particular point or period in time. Therefore, the assessment of the impairment and lifestyle ratings during the "assessment period" must be based on the assessor's reasonable satisfaction as to those ratings throughout the assessment period, based on the available material. If there is a significant change in impairment or lifestyle during an assessment period, the assessment period must be divided into appropriate periods to reflect those changes, and separate assessments made of the degree of incapacity.

 Apportionment of impairment ratings

 It is sometimes necessary, for an accepted condition, to compare an impairment rating derived from one table with an impairment rating derived from another table. When two or more conditions contribute to the impairment ratings from either or

both tables, and comparison is necessary, the method called "apportionment" is to be applied before making the comparison.

    Details of the application of apportionment are given in Chapter 20.

    Paired organs policy

    The paired organs policy is described in Chapter 21.

    Combining impairment ratings

    If all accepted conditions have been given impairment ratings, the ratings are to be combined by applying Table 18.1 (Combined Values Chart).

    Details on how to apply Table 18.1 are given in Chapter 18.

    The combined impairment rating obtained by applying Table 18.1 (Combined Values Chart) is to be rounded to the nearest five points. If Table 18.1 is not required to be applied because only one impairment rating has been obtained and that rating is not a multiple of five, that rating is to be rounded to the nearest five points (or to zero) to produce the impairment rating for the purposes of applying Table 23.1 in Chapter 23 (Conversion to Degree of Incapacity), and for the purposes of the extreme disablement adjustment.

    Degree of incapacity

    The combined impairment rating which is obtained by applying  Chapter 18 (Combined Values Chart) is to be combined with the lifestyle rating to determine the degree of incapacity, by applying Table 23.1 (Conversion to Degree of Incapacity) in accordance with Chapter 23.

    Degree of incapacity for specific disabilities

    If a veteran has one or more accepted conditions that are listed in Column 1 of Table 24.1, then the degree of incapacity of the veteran must be determined in accordance with Chapter 24. The veteran's degree of incapacity from accepted conditions determined by applying Chapters 1-23 of the Guide, is to be compared with the degree of incapacity determined by applying Chapter 24, and the higher degree of incapacity is to be taken. This is the veteran's final degree of incapacity from all accepted conditions.

NOTES

          Medical Impairment

                     Part A:

              System Specific
Assessment

     Chapter 1
     Cardiorespiratory Impairment

    INTRODUCTION

    Cardiorespiratory impairment results from