The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for GERD was denied, and his appeal for a higher initial rating for GERD was also denied. The Board found that no evidence existed to support an earlier effective date than March 14, 2014, for the grant of service connection. For the entire appeal period, the Veteran's GERD symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 30 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7346.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that no communication prior to March 14, 2014, constituted an informal or formal claim for service connection. The effective date of the award was fixed at the date of receipt of the claim (March 14, 2014). For the entire appeal period, the Veteran's GERD symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating under Diagnostic Code 7346.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 6, 2023
- Citation
- A23031033
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 A23031033.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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