The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernia has not resulted in symptoms of severe impairment of health, warranting a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's disability picture does not meet the criteria for a 60 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7346 due to lack of material weight loss and hematemesis or melena with moderate anemia; or other symptom combinations productive of severe impairment of health.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2015
- Citation
- 1551457
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1551457.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernia, and left knee degenerative joint disease were granted. The Veteran was awarded a 10 percent rating for his left knee disability.
- Whole decision: Granted
The veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernia is manifested by symptoms such as pyrosis and substernal pain, warranting a 10% evaluation since August 16, 2001.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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