Many veterans have a joint rated at 0%. That means VA agrees the joint is service connected, but it pays nothing for it. VA's Inspector General found errors about painful motion in about half of the reviewed cases.
This page shows what the rule says, what the review found, and how to check your own decision letter and exam.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
What is the problem with 0% joint ratings?
A 0% rating is also called noncompensable. It means the joint is service connected, and VA pays nothing for that joint alone.
In a report published in August 2026, VA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) looked at 0% joint decisions. It found errors in about half of the reviewed cases. The errors were about painful motion, which is pain when you move the joint.
What does 38 CFR 4.59 say about painful motion?
38 CFR 4.59 is VA's rule on painful motion. Here are two parts of it, word for word.
The intent of the schedule is to recognize painful motion with joint or periarticular pathology as productive of disability. It is the intention to recognize actually painful, unstable, or malaligned joints, due to healed injury, as entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint.
The joints involved should be tested for pain on both active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing and, if possible, with the range of the opposite undamaged joint.
In plain words: pain when a joint moves counts as part of the disability. The rule says a joint that is actually painful, unstable, or out of line from a healed injury should get at least the lowest paying level listed for that joint. VA decides each claim.
The rule also asks the examiner to test for pain four ways: when you move the joint yourself (active), when someone else moves it (passive), with weight on it, and without weight on it. When possible, the examiner also compares it with the same joint on your other side, if that joint is healthy.
The rating levels for each joint are in 38 CFR 4.71a.
What did VA's Inspector General find?
The OIG published Report 25-02645-131 on August 6, 2026. It reviewed a sample of 0% joint decisions. Here is what it found.
Errors in about half of the reviewed cases. The OIG estimated that 32,000 of 64,000 decisions with a 0% joint rating, completed from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, had errors about painful motion.
The OIG estimated at least $45 million in estimated underpayments to veterans.
A smaller check of 20 decisions showed similar errors were still happening as of November 2025.
The OIG said claims processors did not always weigh all the evidence. They were unsure how to apply 38 CFR 4.59, including how much weight to give a veteran's own report of pain.
What has VA done since the report?
Status last checked October 27, 2026.
VBA reported in March 2026 that all errors the OIG identified had been corrected by February 2026. Those are the cases in the OIG's samples.
On April 9, 2026, VBA asked VA's Office of General Counsel for an opinion on how to read 38 CFR 4.59. That includes whether pain alone, without painful motion, can support a paid rating.
VBA's target date to finish that step is 11/30/2026. A target date is a plan, so check back for updates.
How do you check your decision letter?
Start with the letter VA sent you. Look for these things.
Each joint listed with a 0% rating, or the word noncompensable.
The reasons VA gave. See if they mention pain, painful motion, or 38 CFR 4.59.
The evidence VA used. Note the date of each exam it lists.
VA usually sets up a claim exam, also called a C&P exam. The examiner often fills out a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ). Your copy is part of your claims file (C-file).
In the range-of-motion and pain section, look for these notes.
The range-of-motion numbers for each joint, in degrees.
Whether the examiner noted pain, and at what point in the motion it starts.
Whether pain was tested on active and passive motion.
Whether pain was tested with weight on the joint and without it.
What you told the examiner about pain, flare-ups, and daily use.
Write down the page and the words you find. Those notes help you see whether your letter and your exam line up.
What can you do next?
If your exam notes show pain that your letter does not mention, VA offers decision reviews: a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, or a Board Appeal. VA.gov explains each one and its deadlines.
Veterans Benefits AI helps you organize your claim. Keep your decision letter, exam notes, and statements in one place, and line them up with the published rules. You prepare and file your own claim.
VA agrees the condition is service connected, and the rating pays nothing for it alone. It still counts as a service-connected condition on your record.
Does pain alone lead to a paid rating?
VA asked its Office of General Counsel this question on April 9, 2026, with a target date of 11/30/2026. Until then, the words of 38 CFR 4.59 above are the rule, and VA decides each claim.
Was my decision one of the errors?
Your decision letter and exam notes are the best place to look. The OIG reviewed samples, and VBA reported that the errors the OIG found were corrected by February 2026.
Where can I read the report?
On the VA OIG website. It is Report 25-02645-131, dated August 6, 2026. The link is under Official sources.