The most important page in a VA decision packet is the one most veterans never reach. The cover letter summarizes, but the codesheet at the back carries the diagnostic codes, the percentages, and the effective dates that actually control the money. Reading the packet back to front is often the faster way to understand what VA really decided.
The most consequential record behind a VA decision is one many veterans never see. The cover letter summarizes, but the rating codesheet, an internal VA document that is not always mailed with the packet, carries the diagnostic codes, the percentages, and the effective dates that actually control the money. Knowing what the codesheet holds, and how to get it, is often the faster way to understand what VA really decided.
How to read your VA rating decision, section by section (and where the codesheet fits)
A VA decision is a packet, not a page. The cover letter summarizes the outcome, but the codesheet at the back carries the diagnostic codes, the percentages, and the effective dates that actually control the money. Reading the packet back to front is often the faster way to understand what VA really decided.
The codesheet is also an internal VA document that is not always mailed with the packet. Knowing what it holds, and how to get it, matters as much as reading the letter up front.
What the packet contains
When VA decides a claim, you get a packet, not a single page. The packet usually opens with a short notification letter, followed by the rating decision itself, which has its own internal sections. The letter tells you what was decided and what your options are. The rating decision narrative explains the reasoning. Behind that narrative, VA maintains a separate internal document, the rating codesheet, which lists each issue, its diagnostic code, its percentage, and its effective date. The codesheet may not be included with the copy of the decision you receive.
The notification letter
The first pages summarize the outcome: which issues were granted, which were denied, your new combined evaluation, and your monthly payment if it changed. The letter also states your review options and the one-year clock to use them. This is the page most veterans read. The detail that supports it sits further in.
"What We Decided" and the issues list
The rating decision opens by listing every issue it addressed, each with a result: granted at a percentage, denied, or deferred. A deferred issue is not a denial. It means VA needs more development before deciding, and that piece keeps moving separately. Read this list against the issues you actually claimed to make sure nothing was missed.
"Evidence" and "Reasons for Decision"
Two sections do the explaining. The Evidence list shows exactly what VA reviewed: your service records, exam reports, private records, and statements. The Reasons for Decision section walks issue by issue through why each percentage was assigned, citing the diagnostic code and the criteria applied. If you disagree with the outcome, this section points to which finding to challenge.
The codesheet: the record behind the decision
VA's raters complete a codesheet (the rating sheet), a separate system document behind the narrative. Some decision packets include it and many do not. If yours did not arrive with the letter, you can get it by requesting your claims file (C-file). An accredited representative with VBMS access can also pull it for you. For each granted condition, the codesheet lists the diagnostic code, the percentage, and the effective date, then shows the combined evaluation built using the combined ratings table in 38 CFR 4.25. The effective date controls how far back your benefit reaches, so check it against your filing date and any intent to file. The combined number is rarely simple addition, which is why a set of conditions does not just sum to 100.
What to do with it
Three things are worth checking right away: that every issue you claimed was addressed, that each effective date is correct, and that the reasoning matches the evidence. If something is off, the decision review lanes stay open for a year. A Higher Level Review gives VA a fresh look at the same evidence. A Supplemental Claim lets you submit new and relevant evidence. A Board appeal takes the case to a Veterans Law Judge. A clear factual or legal mistake in a final decision can also be challenged as a clear and unmistakable error.
Common details veterans overlook
- The packet has parts, and the codesheet, not the cover letter, carries the diagnostic codes, percentages, and effective dates. It may not be included with your copy. A C-file request or an accredited representative can get it.
- A deferred issue is not a denial. It is a delay for more development and continues separately.
- The combined evaluation uses the 4.25 table, so your conditions do not simply add up to one total.
- Check every effective date, because it sets how far back the benefit reaches and is a common place for mistakes.
- The Reasons for Decision section points to what to appeal, since it names the finding behind each percentage.
Related on this site
- What does your VA decision letter actually say
- Effective dates: when your benefit starts
- The three appeal lanes, explained
- Combined VA ratings and the 10 percent rule
Common questions
Where in the decision packet are my actual ratings?
On the codesheet at the back, not the cover letter. For each granted condition it lists the diagnostic code, the percentage, and the effective date, then shows the combined evaluation built with the table in 38 CFR 4.25.
Is a deferred issue a denial?
No. Deferred means VA needs more development before deciding that issue, and it keeps moving separately. Check the issues list against everything you claimed to make sure nothing was skipped entirely.
What should I check first when the decision arrives?
Three things: that every issue you claimed was addressed, that each effective date matches your filing date or Intent to File, and that the Reasons for Decision section matches the evidence. Anything off can be challenged through the review lanes within one year.