The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition, GERD, basal cell carcinoma, and hypothyroidism to obtain additional medical opinions regarding their etiology, specifically addressing whether they are related to exposure to herbicide agents during service.
The deciding factor: The July 2021 VA opinions were found inadequate as they did not address the specific question of whether the claimed conditions were related to herbicide exposure in service.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), basal cell carcinoma, hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21062502
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the appellant does not have a documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable disability rating for right inguinal hernia surgery and service connection for a low back disability, as well as remanded the claims for service connection for GERD and entitlement to an increased rating for hypertension.
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