Free case reviews for Nebraska veterans
Claims guide · MST

Military Sexual Trauma Claims: Your Evidence, Your Pace

There’s no requirement that you reported it at the time. The VA has specific rules for military sexual trauma because so few survivors were able to come forward.

Start My Free Case Review VA Pay Calculator

Confidential & on your terms
Evidence the VA must weigh
Free MST-related care
How ratings are set

Get Your Free Case Review

Takes 60 seconds. No obligation.

I need help with…

First Claim Increase Denied / Appeal

First name

Last name

Phone

Town (NE)

Current VA rating

Branch

Secure & private. We never ask for your SSN on this form.

Thank you!

A member of our team will reach out within one business day to schedule your free case review.

Veteran-OwnedRun by people who’ve served

Free Case ReviewNo cost to talk with us

Phone & VideoNo office visit needed

All of NebraskaLincoln to the Panhandle

Support

Help Is Available Whether or Not You File

For immediate support, contact the Veterans Crisis Line: 988, then press 1; text 838255; or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

The VA provides free care for conditions related to MST, with no disability rating needed and no proof that the trauma occurred. The VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System has an MST Coordinator who can help you get started at the Omaha medical center or a clinic closer to home.

If you talk with us, it stays confidential, and you decide what to share.

38 CFR 3.304(f)(5)

Evidence That Doesn’t Depend on a Report

For PTSD based on personal assault, the VA is required to consider evidence from outside your service records, such as:

Records from police, rape crisis centers, counselors, hospitals or physicians
Pregnancy tests or tests for sexually transmitted diseases
Statements from family, roommates, fellow service members or clergy

It also counts changes in behavior after the event: asking for a new duty assignment, slipping job performance, substance abuse, unexplained depression, panic or anxiety, and sudden financial or social changes.

Before denying one of these claims, the VA must tell you about these evidence options and give you a chance to provide them. It may also ask a medical or mental health professional whether the evidence indicates an assault occurred.

38 CFR 4.130

How Related Mental Health Conditions Are Rated

Mental health conditions share one rating formula; physical conditions are rated under their own codes.

Criteria quoted from 38 CFR 4.130 (current as of October 2026). Pay effective December 1, 2025.
Rating	VA criteria	2026 pay (alone)
100%	Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.	$3,938.58
70%	Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.	$1,808.45
50%	Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.	$1,132.90
30%	Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events).	$552.47
10%	Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication.	$180.42
0%	A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication.	$0.00

FAQ

MST VA Claims: Common Questions

Do I need a police report or a restricted report?

No. For PTSD claims based on personal assault, the VA must consider other evidence, including behavior changes and statements from people who knew you.

Can I get MST-related treatment without filing a claim?

Yes. VA care for MST-related conditions is free and doesn’t require a disability rating or documentation of the MST.

Are men eligible too?

Yes. MST affects people of every gender, and the same rules and care apply.

Will anyone find out I contacted you?

No. Your inquiry is confidential, and we never publish or sell personal information.

Nebraska Veterans: Get the Rating You Earned

Start with a free, no-obligation case review. It takes about a minute.

Start My Free Review