The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for osteoporosis and primary biliary cirrhosis are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to determine their current severity.
The deciding factor: The Board is unable to make a fully-informed decision on the issue of an increased rating for the Veteran’s service-connected cirrhosis because no VA examiner has opined which of his asserted digestive conditions (cirrhosis and GERD) is predominant, nor evaluated the current severity of either condition.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoporosis, primary biliary cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19185458
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19185458.
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 has granted an increase in PCAFC benefits to Level 2, finding that the Veteran requires continuous supervision or protection due to his cognitive decline and repeated falls.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected digestive system conditions rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance from another person, leading to the grant of special monthly compensation based on this need.
- Granted
The Veteran's right foot disability, including arthritis, osteoporosis, foot drop, neuropathy, difficult gait, and tinea pedis, was incurred during service and continues to this day.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including a VA spine examination to determine if any lumbar spine disabilities are related to service.
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