The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable prior to January 11, 2020 and 10 percent thereafter. The Veteran's IBS has not been found to meet the criteria for a rating greater than 10 percent.,Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to service-connected PTSD is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants a compensable rating prior to March 28, 2019. However, beginning on that date and affording all reasonable doubt to the Veteran, he is entitled to a 10 percent disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss.,The evidence does not show that the Veteran's IBS symptoms align with those criteria warranting a 30 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7319. The Veteran's main complaint has been constipation with occasional episodes of abdominal distress, which is encompassed in the current schedular criteria for a 10 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbosacral Spine, Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23021235
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 23021235.
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 Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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