The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for GERD was granted, and the issue of entitlement to service connection for GERD is also granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea is granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a lower back condition is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence supported reopening the claim for GERD, and both VA and private medical opinions supported the Veteran's contention that his GERD was related to his active duty service and his service-connected PTSD. For sleep apnea, the private provider opined that it was caused by his service-connected PTSD. The lower back condition issue requires an addendum opinion due to inadequate previous examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Obstructive sleep apnea, Lower back condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 23, 2023
- Citation
- 23046800
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 23046800.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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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