The Veteran's appeal for a compensable initial rating for her postoperative umbilical hernia is remanded due to the need for further development, including scheduling a VA examination.
The deciding factor: Further development is necessary as there are conflicting indicators regarding the Veteran’s request for a hearing and the need for an assessment of all pertinent symptomatology related to her service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative umbilical hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20050098
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 20050098.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for postoperative umbilical hernia, prior to December 10, 2020, and a rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding neurological manifestations.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for sleep apnea and umbilical hernia were denied, while the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened but not granted. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is rated at 50 percent since December 14, 2002, due to use of a CPAP machine. His postoperative umbilical hernia remains noncompensable as it does not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for her service-connected postoperative umbilical hernia, finding that the evidence did not show a need for a supporting belt.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's postoperative umbilical hernia does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as it is asymptomatic and healed with no disability or need for support.
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