The Veteran's pancreatitis is resolved and not currently manifested by recurrent attacks or severe abdominal pain.,New evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for Hepatitis C, which was previously denied. The Board finds that there is new and material evidence to support reopening this claim.,Additional development is required to determine whether the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is secondary to his service-connected pancreatitis, as well as any current residuals or diagnosis of Hepatitis C.,The Veteran needs a VA examination to assess whether he has erectile dysfunction that is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and if it was aggravated by his service-connected pancreatitis.,The Veteran also needs a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any eye condition, including whether it is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a compensable rating for pancreatitis due to lack of recurrent attacks or severe abdominal pain.,New evidence has been submitted that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for Hepatitis C.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus may be secondary to his pancreatitis and further examination is needed to determine if it was aggravated by this condition. Additionally, any current residuals or diagnosis of Hepatitis C need to be identified.,Erectile dysfunction as a result of diabetes mellitus needs to be evaluated for its relationship to the service-connected pancreatitis.,An eye condition secondary to diabetes mellitus requires an evaluation to determine if it is related to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatitis, Hepatitis C, Diabetes mellitus, Erectile dysfunction, Eye condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21069630
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 21069630.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress, alcohol use disorder, tension headaches, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and erectile dysfunction, all of which are found to be related to the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 29, 2019 for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder but denied earlier effective dates and increased ratings for other conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
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