The VA has determined that the veteran's asthma and lumbar spine disability do not warrant higher initial ratings.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not show any evidence of severe or incapacitating attacks, which are required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 6602 for bronchial asthma and Diagnostic Codes 5292 and 5295 for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Bronchial Asthma, Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2002
- Citation
- 0209340
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0209340.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a separate 50 percent disability rating for service-connected obstructive sleep apnea, as it is prohibited by law to assign separate ratings for coexisting respiratory disabilities.
- Denied
The appeal to revise, based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE), an October 2020 rating decision's assignment of a 50 percent disability rating for obstructive sleep apnea with bronchial asthma was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied an evaluation greater than 50 percent for sleep apnea and a separate rating for bronchial asthma, as the Veteran's symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for higher ratings.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for separate ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and bronchial asthma, as it found that maintaining separate ratings was prohibited under VA regulations.
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