GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction was dismissed. His acquired psychiatric disorder received a 70 percent rating prior to May 16, 2022 and is denied for higher ratings thereafter. GERD received an initial 10 percent rating effective June 10, 2013 and is denied for higher ratings from May 10, 2022.

The Veteran's GERD is rated at 60 percent since December 4, 2015. The appeal for service connection and TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a lipoma of the forehead and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are remanded due to insufficient rationale in the VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities. The matter is referred to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of assignment of an extraschedular rating for TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection of abdominal pain, dry eye syndrome, and migraine headaches as they have been granted in a previous rating decision.,Your claim for an increased rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease is denied.

The Veteran's insomnia is associated with her service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus cannot be separately granted.,The Veteran has symptoms consistent with a gastrointestinal disorder but no current diagnosis of such. A new VA medical opinion is needed to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed gastrointestinal disorder.

The Board has decided that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected GERD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 7, 2022.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of various conditions were dismissed due to his withdrawal at the Board hearing.

The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as they are not shown to be causally or etiologically related any disease or injury during a period of active duty, active duty for training (ACDUTRA), or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for eosinophilic esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that there is a reasonable possibility of a nexus to his military service.

The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for symptoms associated with hemochromatosis and GERD, vacating the previous ratings of 30 percent for GERD and 20 percent for hemochromatosis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for GERD and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a new examination.

The Veteran's GERD is determined to be secondary to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for his service-connected orthopedic disabilities, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and diabetes mellitus based on the presumption of exposure to Gulf War conditions. Service connection was denied for fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), esophageal stricture, a chronic skin disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and nephrolithiasis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, a heart disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened. The Board has remanded these issues due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between the disabilities and service-connected conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating for GERD before the decision was made.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his 2005 surgical treatment at a VA Medical Center, and if so, whether they were proximately caused by carelessness, negligence, or similar fault on the part of VA.

The Veteran's service-connected reflux esophagitis (claimed as GERD) has been rated at 10 percent since April 2018 and increased to 30 percent in May 2018. The Veteran is seeking a higher rating, but the AOJ has not issued an SOC for this issue.

The Board has denied service connection for right hand disability and psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD. The issues of service connection for residuals of sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis (claimed as a positive PPD test), sinusitis, and gastrointestinal disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations.