Life insurance asked about VA rating.

You are not legally required to disclose your VA disability rating or diagnostic codes to a private life insurance company; your VA medical records are protected under federal privacy laws (38 CFR 1.575-1.577). The insurer is likely assessing risk, but VA ratings are for compensation, not an automatic measure of mortality or employability—a key distinction established in case law like *Wagner v. Principi*, which held that a service connection does not equate to a medical diagnosis for non-VA purposes. Your rating percentage and the conditions it comprises are considered confidential VA claim information. A safer, more appropriate response is to state you receive care at the VA for service-connected conditions and offer to provide relevant medical records through a formal release, directing them to your treating physician at the VA for specific clinical details if underwriting requires it. For future applications, consider exploring Service-Disabled Veterans Life Insurance (S-DVI) or Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI), which are designed for veterans and do not require medical underwriting based on service-connected conditions (see 38 U.S.C. § 1922). Actionable next steps: 1) Do not disclose your rating percentage or diagnostic codes; 2) If you already have, you may clarify that the rating is for compensation purposes and offer to coordinate a records release from your VA provider; 3) Contact the VA’s Insurance Center at 1-800-669-8477 to explore S-DVI/VGLI options.

**Disclaimer:** This information is for educational purposes regarding VA policy and procedure and does not constitute legal, medical, or official benefits advice.