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 and any current residuals or diagnosis of Hepatitis C need further evaluation to determine if they are secondary to his service-connected pancreatitis.,An examination is needed to assess whether erectile dysfunction is related to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, as well as whether it was aggravated by his service-connected pancreatitis.,An examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any eye condition, including whether it is secondary 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
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of ambulance travel expenses incurred on June 17, 2025 due to an emergency heart attack. The ambulance service was provided by a volunteer organization and later intercepted by a higher-tier EMT company.
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