WingmanOpen the free toolsWingmanOpen the free toolsIf the VA already service-connected your erectile dysfunction (also called erectile dysfunction, ED, impotence, loss of use of a creative organ), it can cause or worsen other conditions that are ratable on their own. These "secondary" claims are where many veterans leave money on the table. Below is what a service-connected erectile dysfunction commonly leads to, why, and what evidence each one takes.
A secondary claim only works if the primary condition (erectile dysfunction) is already service-connected, and you have a nexus — a doctor's opinion that it is "at least as likely as not" the cause. More on nexus letters →
Once ED is service-connected (even at a 0% schedular rating), the VA pays additional tax-free SMC-K for loss of use of a creative organ. Many vets stop at the 0% rating and miss this money.
What you'd need: Service connection for the ED itself (via the primary condition or its meds). No compensable percentage is required to trigger SMC-K.
ED can cause or worsen depression and anxiety and relationship stress, which the VA may recognize as a secondary mental health condition.
What you'd need: A mental health diagnosis and a nexus opinion linking the mood disorder to the ED. Granted less consistently; strongest with clear documentation.