The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of status post ulcerative colitis, total colectomy and anus removal, and surgical scar are denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim or intent to seek benefits.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the earliest possible effective date was assigned based on the date the Veteran's claim for benefits was received (May 13, 2015), and there is no evidence of a prior claim or intent to seek benefits before this date.
- Claimed conditions
- status post ulcerative colitis, total colectomy, anus removal, surgical scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20048039
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 20048039.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
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