The Veteran's claim for service connection for spina bifida occulta (claimed as low back condition or back) was denied because he failed to report for a required VA examination without good cause, and the criteria for direct service connection were not met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to report for a required VA examination without good cause in conjunction with a supplemental claim for a previously disallowed benefit.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida occulta
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2026
- Citation
- A26028928
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 A26028928.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's child is denied benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for spina bifida because the diagnosis of spina bifida occulta does not meet the criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection claim for spina bifida occulta with degenerative arthritis and osteopenia is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature of his pre-existing condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 and § 1815, finding that she does not have a form or manifestation of spina bifida other than spina bifida occulta, and her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for spina bifida, as he does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida other than spina bifida occulta.
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