Visual Acuity 5/200 One Eye, 20/50 Other — VA Disability Rating (DC 6065)
Diagnostic Code 6065 · 38 CFR §4.79
What Is It?
Two corrections on this page. First, DC 6074 no longer exists — this pairing is evaluated under DC 6065, "Vision in one eye 5/200 (1.5/60)." Second, the percentage is 40, not the 30 this page previously published: DC 6065’s ladder runs 100 with the other eye at 5/200, 90 at 10/200, 80 at 15/200, 70 at 20/200, 60 at 20/100, 50 at 20/70, 40 at 20/50 and 30 at 20/40. VA rewrote the eye schedule effective December 10, 2008 (73 FR 66543) and collapsed the old one-combination-per-code central-visual-acuity block into DCs 6061 through 6066. By its own terms that rewrite applies to all applications for benefits received on or after December 10, 2008. If you already hold a rating under the retired code, 38 CFR § 3.951(a) is the provision that matters: a readjustment to the rating schedule is not by itself grounds for reducing an evaluation already in effect unless medical evidence shows the disability has actually improved. The diagnostic code still appears in this page’s web address because that address has not changed; the code the page teaches has. Vision of 5/200 means the largest test letter is only readable at five feet where a normally sighted eye reads it at two hundred — profound loss well past the legal-blindness threshold. Two provisions decide most one-eye claims. Under 38 CFR § 4.75(c), if only one eye is service-connected the other eye is considered to be 20/40 — subject to § 3.383(a). Under § 4.75(d), visual impairment of one eye alone cannot exceed 30 percent unless there is anatomical loss of the eye. Acuity is measured corrected, at distance, with central fixation (§ 4.76(b)(1)).
Rating Criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 40% | Vision of 5/200 (1.5/60) in one eye with corrected visual acuity of 20/50 (6/15) in the other eye — 40 percent under DC 6065. |
Evidence Needed
Visual acuity testing documenting 5/200 or worse in the affected eye, documentation of the cause (combat injury, disease, etc.), and evidence of functional limitations from near-total unilateral blindness.
C&P Exam Tips
Ensure the examiner documents the severely impaired eye can only detect hand motion or large objects. Describe the impact on depth perception, peripheral awareness, and occupational limitations. Request SMC-K evaluation for loss of use of the eye.
How to File
File for the underlying eye condition with best-corrected distance acuity for both eyes documented by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Footnote 1 in the acuity table marks DC 6065 for a special monthly compensation review under 38 CFR § 3.350 — ask that the review be documented in the decision.
Common Mistakes
Not applying for SMC-K for loss of use of one eye when vision is at 5/200. Not documenting the occupational limitations of functional monocular vision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as blindness in one eye?
No, and the distinction sets the code. DC 6065 is vision of 5/200 — some measurable acuity remains. DC 6064 is no more than light perception in one eye, and DC 6063 is anatomical loss of the eye. Each has its own ladder, and the entry condition, not the fellow eye, decides which one applies.