The "5-year rule" refers to the added protection a disability rating gets once it has been in effect for 5 or more continuous years, under 38 CFR 3.344. Ratings that have been stable for that length of time cannot be reduced based on a single re-examination, even if that exam shows improvement. Before reducing a rating held 5+ years, the VA must review the entire medical history, not just the most recent exam, and must show that any improvement reflects actual, sustained improvement under the ordinary conditions of life (work and daily activities), not just a temporary or exam-day snapshot. This is a higher evidentiary bar than applies to ratings held less than 5 years, but it is not a guarantee against reduction — it simply requires more thorough proof before the VA can lower the rating.
Filing a claim for a new secondary condition, such as migraines secondary to PTSD, does not automatically trigger a review of the primary PTSD rating. Secondary service connection claims are adjudicated on their own by looking at whether the secondary condition is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the already-service-connected primary condition. The rater will typically request a new Compensation and Pension exam for the migraines, and may pull the PTSD file for context, but there's no rule that says a secondary claim forces a full reexamination of the primary diagnosis. Reviews of an existing rating usually happen for separate reasons: a future exam was previously scheduled, evidence in the file suggests improvement, or the rating was never actually protected (for example, some presumptive or unstabilized ratings work differently). Since the PTSD rating has been in place 5 years, any future review of it would fall under the stricter 3.344 standard described above, regardless of whether the migraine claim is filed.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →Outcomes on secondary claims and on any later reduction review vary case by case depending on the medical evidence in the file, so it isn't possible to predict a specific result from the facts alone.
As a concrete next step, submit the migraine secondary claim with a nexus opinion connecting it to PTSD (VA Form 21-526EZ if not already open), and separately keep copies of all your current PTSD treatment records in case the VA ever proposes a reduction, since you would have 60 days to respond with evidence under 38 CFR 3.105(e).
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