The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for digestive system disability, including achalasia as secondary to GI condition treatment, is pending.
The deciding factor: Further investigation into the authenticity and completeness of service treatment records and a new VA medical examination are required to determine if any diagnosed digestive-system conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- achalasia, GI condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2017
- Citation
- 1723205
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 1723205.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the listed conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of those claims at a hearing before the Board.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's achalasia did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD with gastritis and achalasia is rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating due to lack of considerable impairment of health.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for GERD and a higher rating for achalasia type 3 to include spasm of esophagus (cardiospasm).
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.