The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining a TERA examination and an addendum opinion regarding diabetes mellitus type II, and clarification on the Veteran's pancreatic insufficiency.
The deciding factor: The December 2023 VA examinations were found to be inadequate due to missing information about pain-free intermissions between attacks of abdominal pain, which could affect the rating for pancreatic insufficiency. Additionally, a TERA examination is required given the Veteran's Persian Gulf War service and potential exposure to burn pits.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25056832
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and penile cancer as there was no evidence of a medical nexus between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, specifically to verify the Veteran's assertion of herbicide exposure while working on C-123 aircraft at Clark Air Base from May 1965 to November 1966.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, right hip degenerative joint disease and rheumatoid arthritis with acetabular cyst status post right total hip replacement, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, fever sores, and a compromised immune system, as the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various conditions associated with a stroke, including obstructive sleep apnea, depression, and diabetes mellitus type II.
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