GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's GERD and back disability are being remanded for additional examination to determine appropriate ratings.

The Veteran's stomach condition, to include GERD, had its onset in service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for major depressive disorder and GERD due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran is also being remanded for a VA examination to assess his current severity of psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for cancer of the bladder is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claims for GERD and a heart disorder (claimed as ischemic heart disease) are denied, with no rating assigned. The PTSD claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate August 2013 medical opinion, and a new examination is needed to clarify the nature and likely cause of the stomach disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension and acid reflux as secondary to PTSD due to inadequate examination in March 2019. A new medical opinion is needed to address whether these conditions have been aggravated by PTSD.

The Veteran's GERD is granted a 30% rating effective February 29, 2016. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of low back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and a special home adaptation grant were denied as he did not meet the eligibility criteria due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pancreatitis as secondary to her service-connected GERD with cholecystectomy residuals, finding that there was no causal or aggravation relationship between the conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and COPD due to insufficient rationale in previous opinions, and additional development is needed.

The Board has remanded the stomach condition claim due to an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's history of stomach issues in service and continuity since service is considered credible, but the examiner found no evidence of stomach, liver, or intestinal problems in his service records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD, finding that there was no evidence linking his current diagnosis to his active duty service or radiation exposure. The gap between separation from service and treatment for GERD, as well as the lack of a known causal link between radiation exposure and GERD, were cited as reasons against granting service connection.

The Board denied service connection for GERD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the condition and herbicide exposure or contaminated water consumption during service.

The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia, H. pylori, esophagitis, chronic diarrhea, and gall bladder and appendectomy surgery is currently rated at 30 percent, the highest possible under Diagnostic Code 7319 for irritable colon syndrome (IBS). The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's skin rash, muscle pain, sleep problems, and GERD. The VA examiner is required to provide a new examination and opinion on each condition.

The Board has dismissed all the issues of service connection for various conditions as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions, including a cervical spine disability and peripheral neuropathy in multiple extremities. The Veteran's claims are pending further examination and review.

The Veteran's GERD with IBS is currently rated as 30 percent disabling since November 12, 2019. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for diverticulosis secondary to GERD with IBS.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, GERD, and his lumbar spine disability were granted. The claim for a gallbladder condition was denied. Service connection for hiatal hernia and hypertension was not established. A rating of 70 percent for the lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an effective date earlier than March 31, 2008, for the award of service connection and a higher rating for GERD, to include diabetic gastroparesis and hiatal hernia.