The Board denied entitlement to an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: There was no basis upon which to award an earlier effective date than August 10, 2022, due to the Veteran's claims being filed within one year of the PACT Act's enactment, and meeting all relevant eligibility criteria as of that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Hypertension, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Left Lower Extremity Neuropathy, Right Lower Extremity Neuropathy, Left Upper Extremity Neuropathy, Right Upper Extremity Neuropathy, Acquired Psychiatric Condition, to Include PTSD, Atrial Fibrillation, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25055201
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
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