GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's GERD and whether it is related to service or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted. The TDIU claim and the GERD rating claim are both remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection of GERD and remanded it for further development.

The Veteran's GERD claim is being remanded due to possible worsening of symptoms and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for GERD and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including issuance of statement of the case in some instances.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder and degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, have been sufficiently disabling to render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational background.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hiatal hernia with GERD, coronary artery disease, PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantial gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted as secondary to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection for neurobehavioral effects, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, is denied. The Board finds the evidence does not support a current diagnosis of a neurobehavior disorder throughout the appeals period.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the remaining claims due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a compensable rating for chronic suppurative otitis media, no substantial impairment from gastroesophageal reflux disease, and no functional impairment in the right index finger.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for gastroesophageal reflux disease and chychonycosis of the right great toe are remanded due to a lack of recent VA examinations.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were granted at a 20 percent level from September 29, 2017. The rating for GERD was denied.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU was remanded due to the need for VA examinations and the need to obtain SSA records. The case is now back with the Board for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for an umbilical hernia, a rating of 30 percent for GERD, and service connection for scars associated with in-service Heller myotomy and pyloroplasty. The umbilical hernia was rated as noncompensable due to its small size and ease of reduction. The GERD was rated at 10 percent based on persistent symptoms but not meeting the criteria for a higher rating. The scars were denied service connection as they did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's scleroderma and related conditions are granted service connection.,The Veteran's basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis are also granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for headaches and GERD are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for reconsideration in light of additional evidence, including private treatment records from various VA and non-VA facilities. The Appellant is requesting that these matters be reconsidered.

The Veteran's hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal disorder (acid reflux), erectile dysfunction, and acquired psychiatric disorder are not service-connected.,There is insufficient evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's GERD is rated at a 10 percent disability rating. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms of recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia and regurgitation meet the criteria for a 10 percent disability rating, but not higher due to lack of considerable impairment of health. Service connection for cervical spine disability and headaches is remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals as the Veteran died during the appeal process and thus, does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claims.