The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for GERD and IBS was denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to April 12, 2023.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the earliest effective date permitted by law for the award adjudicated in the April 2025 rating decision is April 12, 2023, and there was no evidence of a claim prior to this date.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- January 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26007170
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 A26007170.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion and a need for further examination.
- 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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