The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection and special monthly compensation, as these claims were granted under the PACT Act on August 10, 2022.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date because his claims were granted pursuant to the PACT Act, which does not allow for effective dates prior to its enactment date.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy (sciatic nerve), right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy (femoral nerve), left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy (sciatic nerve), left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy (femoral nerve), right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, loss of use of a creative organ
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25054745
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, left eye diabetic retinopathy, left foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and coronary artery disease, as well as the Veteran's cause of death.
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