The Veteran's IBS is granted as a presumptive service connection due to a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The RO will need to provide an examination and obtain an opinion regarding the bilateral pes planus, diabetes mellitus, eye disability, and right ankle condition.,Service connection for bilateral pes planus, diabetes mellitus, any eye disability, and right ankle condition is remanded due to insufficient evidence. Additional examinations are needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's IBS was found to be a MUCMI without known etiology, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1117 and 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Bilateral Pes Planus, Diabetes Mellitus, Eye Disability (including but not limited to optic neuropathy, ocular hypertension, toxic optic nerve, etc.), Right Ankle Condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23054227
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 23054227.
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 service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee meniscal tear, and IBS, have rendered him unable to secure or follow any substantially gainful employment from May 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021. The Board finds that the evidence is in balance, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for his IBS, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a moderate or severe condition as defined by VA regulations.
- Granted
The Veteran's appeal was granted for various disabilities, including service connection for depressive disorder and increased evaluations for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting multiple nerve groups. A SMC based on need for aid and attendance was also awarded.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 20 percent rating for service-connected vitamin D deficiency, finding that the Veteran's recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea most closely approximates the criteria for a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6313. The claim for service connection for IBS was not addressed in this decision.
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