The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for otitis media, finding that there is no current evidence of active infection or other symptoms warranting a compensable rating. The RO has already established service connection and assigned ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examinations did not show any current manifestations of otitis media, such as suppuration or aural polyps, which are required for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Otitis Media
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2002
- Citation
- 0218430
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 0218430.
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.
- Granted
The Board has accepted the October 2019 VA Form 9 as timely and will proceed with a decision on the merits of the service connection claims under the legacy review system.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to November 14, 2011, and December 5, 2011, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for IBS, a lumbar spine disability, prostate disorder, kidney disorder, pharyngitis, and otitis media. The Veteran's assertions were not supported by the evidence of record.,Service connection was denied as there is no persuasive medical evidence showing that any current diagnosed condition is related to active duty service or any incident thereof.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining relevant medical records and completing appropriate disability benefits questionnaires.
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