The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected anemia from January 7, 2013 to the present was denied as her hemoglobin levels did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hemoglobin levels were consistently above 7gm/100ml and she did not exhibit symptoms such as dyspnea on mild exertion, cardiomegaly, tachycardia (100 to 120 beats per minute) or syncope (3 episodes in the last 6 months).
- Claimed conditions
- Anemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20067358
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 insomnia, fatigue, gallstones, varicose veins, anemia, colitis, and PTSD due to a lack of evidence supporting the claims.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal in September 2025, stating that she is now 100% permanently and totally disabled effective April 29, 2025.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection and higher initial rating were dismissed due to concurrent election of review options.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and anemia, but remanded claims for chronic kidney disease, hematuria, and multiple myeloma.
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