The Board remands the issue of service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, to include GERD, as secondary to a service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The October 2023 negative VA medical opinion was found to be inadequate and did not address all necessary factors, including the potential relationship between GERD and mental health symptoms as suggested by submitted medical journal articles.
- Claimed conditions
- gastrointestinal disorder (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25025070
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent evaluation for the Veteran's right knee meniscal injury and remanded several service connection claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining a complete medical history and an adequate examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for fatty liver, chronic kidney disease, and a gastrointestinal disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
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