The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a colostomy disability is denied as the earliest possible effective date, August 10, 2022, was granted due to the PACT Act. The July 2013 rating decision denying service connection was not appealed within one year and thus became final.
The deciding factor: The claim for an earlier effective date was denied because the earliest possible effective date of August 10, 2022, was granted due to the PACT Act, which is already earlier than when the Veteran's supplemental claim was received on November 10, 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- colostomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26038749
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 A26038749.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 2, 2020, for the award of service connection for colostomy, ileostomy, rectal vaginal fistula, and small bowel obstruction (SBO) surgery was denied as there was no new and material evidence received within one year of the issuance of the December 2013 decision.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of rectal cancer, which required a colostomy after surgery, has been dismissed due to the appellant's death during the appeal process.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rectal adenocarcinoma was dismissed due to a late filing of the Board Appeal request.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for bladder cancer. The other issues are remanded due to the need for VA examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions.
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