The Veteran's service-connected GERD is rated at 30 percent, and the Board has remanded for further development on his other issues. The Veteran also has a current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea but the Board finds that the existing medical opinion does not adequately address whether it was present in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion did not sufficiently address whether the Veteran’s symptoms in service represented the onset of obstructive sleep apnea which was not diagnosed until later.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Obstructive sleep apnea, Bilateral pes planus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19125255
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.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The headache claim was remanded for further examination.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
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