The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected pulmonary fibrosis with COPD from August 9, 2013 to July 8, 2016, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6604.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show FEV-1 of 71 to 80 percent predicted value or FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, which are required for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6604.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary Fibrosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23021368
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 23021368.
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.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 100% evaluation for COPD, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis as of July 27, 2023, due to improper reduction from September 1, 2025.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for insomnia, memory loss, and hearing loss are dismissed. Service connection for pulmonary fibrosis is granted under the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board found that the grant of service connection for pulmonary fibrosis was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous, but also noted conflicting medical opinions regarding its cause. Service connection is restored.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an initial evaluation of 100 percent for COPD and associated conditions, including chronic pulmonary hypertension, from the date she filed her claim in April 2018.
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