The Veteran's claims for separate ratings for asthma and sleep apnea, as well as hiatal hernia and GERD, were denied. The Veteran was granted a 30% rating for hiatal hernia with GERD effective December 4, 2014, and a 60% rating since January 23, 2020. An initial compensable rating for esophagitis was not granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant separate ratings as they are covered by the predominant disability’s diagnostic code under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Asthma, Sleep Apnea, Hiatal Hernia, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20040947
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 20040947.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's asthma is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that this rating adequately compensates his service-connected condition.
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