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Claims guide · MST

MST Claims: You Don’t Need a Report

Most military sexual trauma was never reported, and VA rules are written with that reality in mind. Your claim can be built from records outside the military and from changes others noticed.

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Free MST-Related Care, No Claim Required

In crisis? Contact the Veterans Crisis Line: 988, press 1; text 838255; or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

The VA treats conditions related to MST at no cost, without a disability rating and without proof the trauma happened. Both VA Wichita and VA Eastern Kansas have MST Coordinators who can connect you with care in Wichita, Topeka, Leavenworth or a nearby clinic.

Anything you share with us stays confidential. You set the pace.

38 CFR 3.304(f)(5)

Evidence Beyond Military Records

For PTSD based on personal assault, the VA has to consider evidence from outside service records, for example:

Records from law enforcement, rape crisis centers, counseling centers, hospitals or doctors
Pregnancy or STD testing
Statements from family, roommates, fellow service members or clergy

So can behavior changes after the assault: requesting a transfer, slipping performance, substance abuse, unexplained depression, panic or anxiety, or sudden financial or social changes.

The VA must tell you about these evidence options and give you the chance to submit them before denying the claim, and it can have a medical or mental health professional review whether the evidence shows an assault occurred.

38 CFR 4.130

Rating MST-Related Mental Health Conditions

Mental health conditions are rated under one formula; physical conditions use their own diagnostic 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

Can I file an MST claim with no report on record?

Yes. For PTSD based on personal assault, the VA must consider evidence like behavior changes and statements from people who knew you.

Where can I get MST-related care in Kansas?

Through VA Wichita or VA Eastern Kansas. Each has an MST Coordinator, and MST-related care is free without a rating.

Is this only for women?

No. Men and women can experience MST, and the same rules and care apply.

How private is this?

Your conversation with us is confidential, and we never publish or sell your information.

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