The Veteran's appeal for a separate rating for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The Veteran's bilateral pes cavus associated with RA is currently rated at 10 percent and the VA examination did not adequately assess his flare-ups, but the preponderance of evidence still supports denying an increased rating.,The Veteran's bilateral thumbs associated with RA are currently rated at 10 percent and the VA examination did not provide sufficient information to support a higher rating.,The Veteran's bilateral index fingers associated with RA are currently rated at 10 percent and the VA examination did not provide sufficient information to support a higher rating.,The Veteran's bilateral long fingers associated with RA are currently rated at 10 percent and the VA examination did not provide sufficient information to support a higher rating.,The Veteran's bilateral ring fingers associated with RA are currently rated at noncompensable (0%) as there is no compensable schedular rating available.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not meet the criteria for a separate rating for rheumatoid arthritis, and the VA examination did not provide sufficient information to support higher ratings for pes cavus, thumbs, index fingers, long fingers, or ring fingers.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21011306
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 21011306.
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 rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support direct service connection or any other theory of entitlement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his in-service exposure to burn pits and other environmental toxins during his Southwest Asia service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis as there was no evidence of a current disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to outstanding records of private treatment and a lack of VA medical opinions.
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