GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2020

The appeal was denied as the Veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal for the July 2013 rating decision. The previously denied claim of service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, to include GERD, is reopened.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for GERD is denied.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to November 15, 2013 is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to aggravate his IBS and GERD, leading to the grants of service connection for both conditions. The amputation claim remains pending as a remand is required.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on regular need for aid and attendance is remanded due to the lack of adequate contemporaneous medical examinations. The Board finds that new VA examinations are needed to assess the current state of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to perform activities of daily living.

The Veteran's GERD, to include hiatal hernia and gastric ulcer, is manifested by persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation, accompanied by substernal pain. The Board has granted an initial rating of 30 percent for the Veteran’s GERD.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional evidence, including private medical records. The Veteran's gastrointestinal disability is being considered for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's GERD is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, specifically his right tibia and bilateral knee conditions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for a low back disability and tinea pedis, a temporary 100 percent rating for PTSD, and service connection for a cardiac condition, bilateral knee disabilities, erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence. The claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea have been reopened.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The claim for service connection for migraine headaches is also remanded.,Additional evidence received since the October 2013 rating decision relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims for service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and GERD.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of his pulmonary disability, as well as his claim for TDIU due to unclear evidence regarding the nature and severity of his disabilities. The claims will be returned to the RO for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted. The Veteran's service-connected irritable bowel syndrome with GERD and hiatal hernia is granted a 30% disability rating effective October 26, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is reopened, and GERD is denied. The Board finds additional evidence related to the reopening of the claim but remands for further development on the merits of both claims.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses at the Mother Francis Hospital on June 6, 2014 is denied because his condition did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment and he was able to seek care from a VA facility.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was aggravated by service, and his digestive system conditions were not shown to be related to service in the Persian Gulf.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran is already compensated for insomnia as a symptom of his PTSD, and there was no evidence of an earlier effective date for fibromyalgia or left knee patellofemoral syndrome. Service connection for photophobia, TBI, IBS, sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and GERD were not established based on the provided medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected GERD with hiatal hernia and post-operative residuals of right knee injury with degenerative changes are being remanded for further evaluation due to a claimed worsening of symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development. The issues include lumbar spine disorder, gastrointestinal disorders (diverticulosis and acid reflux disease), fatigue characterized by obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with its previous remand order, requiring an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder is aggravated by his service-connected major depressive disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's gastritis is secondary to her service-connected GERD with esophagitis. The VA needs to obtain an addendum opinion addressing this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ankle disability, painful joints disability, GERD, brain tumor, and penile disabilities due to insufficient evidence in some cases.