The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 26, 2024 for the award of service connection for somatic symptom disorder was denied. The Board found no evidence of a prior claim and concluded that the earliest possible effective date is August 26, 2024.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit any claims or intent to file for somatic symptom disorder prior to August 26, 2024, which was when he submitted his VA Form 21-526EZ seeking service connection for this condition. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date is therefore August 26, 2024.
- Claimed conditions
- somatic symptom disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 31, 2026
- Citation
- A26028697
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 A26028697.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis and remanded the claims of anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and somatic symptom disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for somatic symptom disorder and migraines, both found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of somatic symptom disorder. The effective date for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea (OSA) was set at February 4, 2020, and a rating in excess of 50 percent for OSA is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including insomnia disorder, anxiety, and somatic symptom disorder) and bruxism. The evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.
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