How a GERD DBQ Strengthens Your VA Claim

Researchers estimate that approximately 20% of people in the U.S. have a gastrointestinal disorder called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  

If you were diagnosed with GERD, you most likely know how its symptoms can interfere with your day-to-day life because GERD is more than just an occasional experience of indigestion.  

If you feel your GERD was the result of or worsened by your military service, you may be interested in finding out how a GERD DBQ strengthens your claim and can help you get the VA disability rating you deserve.

Key Takeaways

• A GERD DBQ (Disability Benefits Questionnaire) is an individualized assessment tool designed to streamline the process of collecting medical evidence pertinent to your GERD claim. 

• The VA uses the DBQ form to evaluate the impact of disabilities on your daily life. 

• The VA may rate GERD as a secondary condition for veterans with certain primary service-connected disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, or PTSD) known to cause or worsen GERD. 

• While a GERD DBQ will likely strengthen your GERD disability claim, it is not a requirement.

What is GERD?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal condition that causes stomach contents to flow upward into the esophagus. 

Esophageal stricture (i.e., narrowing of the esophagus) and weakening of a ring of muscles, controlling the flow of food and stomach acid, causes GERD. This muscle, called the esophageal sphincter, is between the stomach and esophagus.  

Severe GERD symptoms can cause injury to the esophagus, throat, or respiratory tract due to damage caused by the reflux of acidic stomach contents. 

Common symptoms of GERD include: 

• Heartburn (i.e., indigestion) after eating that may worsen when lying down  

• Food or sour liquid backwashed into the throat 

• Upper stomach (i.e., epigastric) or chest pain. 

• Feeling of a lump in the throat 

• Difficulty swallowing (i.e., dysphagia) 

• If you have nighttime acid reflux, you also might experience: 

• Persistent cough 

• Laryngitis (i.e., inflammation of the vocal cords) 

• New or worsening asthma 

What is a GERD DBQ Form?

A Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) form helps VA reviewers accurately evaluate your disability claim. DBQ forms are individualized to specific conditions to streamline the process of efficiently and accurately collecting medical evidence pertinent to your claim.  

DBQs are completed by medical professionals who may support streamlining your VA disability claim process by ensuring that accurate, consistent, and relevant information is provided as part of your claim. These forms often expedite the claims process because they provide the missing link to a fully developed claim, written according to VA regulations. 

How a GERD DBQ Supports a VA Disability Claim

The standardized DBQ for GERD provides detailed information that helps the VA:   

• Ensure the severity of your GERD symptoms is thoroughly documented, using the specific language the VA looks for to provide the rating you deserve 

• Evaluate your current diagnosis by using specific criteria, such as pertinent medical tests the VA looks for (e.g., an upper endoscopy [medical procedure to examine the stomach, esophagus, and upper part of the small intestine] and other specific criteria)   

• Establish how your GERD impacts your daily life  

The GERD DBQ form includes several categories that your healthcare professional completes including: 

• Diagnostic test results (e.g., esophageal pH Monitoring [a test that measures the amount of stomach acid in the esophagus] or an upper endoscopy [medical procedure to examine the stomach, esophagus, and upper part of the small intestine] test results) 

• Medications – to denote whether you were prescribed GERD medications (e.g., proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) that reduce stomach acid) and how effective the drugs are at managing your symptoms 

• Other sections – (e.g., diagnosis, medical history, signs and symptoms, and more) 

How To Get a DBQ for GERD?

Veterans aren’t required to include a DBQ for GERD as part of their disability claim; however, submitting your DBQ form is beneficial because it can provide medical evidence the VA requires to approve and rate your claim for disability benefits.  

VA physicians or civilian healthcare providers can complete and sign DBQ forms; this includes VA contracted examiners and private healthcare providers (e.g., physician assistants, medical doctors, and nurse practitioners). The healthcare provider will complete the DBQ for GERD during your Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam. If you choose a civilian physician, you must print out or email the VA Public DBQ form to your provider. 

A valid DBQ form must include the provider’s signature and credentials.  

Review the completed DBQ form to ensure all the information is accurate. Send your completed form to the VA along with your disability claim. Keep a copy for your records. 

The Difference Between a Nexus Letter and DBQ for GERD

If you are service connected for GERD, a DBQ may establish a link with other service-connected conditions, such as PTSD, anxiety, or depression. 

If you are not service connected, you will need to show a “nexus” (i.e., connection between your diagnosis and military service). You can strengthen your VA disability claim by adding relevant items, such as a GERD Nexus Letter; in this scenario, a DBQ is optional.  

A Nexus Letter’s purpose is to support your VA claim, confirming that your GERD and military service have a “nexus.”  

The Nexus Letter may also establish a link between the cause or exacerbation (worsening symptoms) in a secondary GERD claim, and a previously rated service-connected condition, such as PTSD, anxiety, or depression.  

Note: DBQ forms are medical forms used to document your current medical condition and disability, and nexus letters are medical opinions that explicitly link your current condition to your military service. 

Looking for a Nexus Letter? Learn more about GERD Nexus Letters HERE.

New GERD VA Disability Ratings

Beginning May 19th, 2024, the VA released a new GERD rating table specific to GERD symptoms, under the diagnostic code, 7206. 

The new GERD VA disability ratings are 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, or 80%, depending on the severity and frequency of your symptoms, as well as the usage of medication. 

• 0% GERD VA Rating – Documented history without daily symptoms or requirement for daily medications  

• 10% GERD VA Rating – recorded history of esophageal stricture(s) requiring daily medications to control difficulty swallowing 

• 30% GERD VA Rating – recorded history of recurrent esophageal stricture(s) causing difficulty swallowing, which requires a dilatation procedure no more than 2 times per year 

• 50% GERD VA Rating – recorded history of recurrent (symptoms go away and come back again) or refractory (symptoms don’t respond to treatment)  esophageal stricture(s) causing difficulty swallowing, which requires at least one of the following (1) dilatation three or more times per year, (2) dilatation using steroids at least one time per year, or (3) esophageal stent placement  

• 80% GERD VA Rating – recorded history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s) causing dysphagia (i.e., trouble swallowing) with at least one of the following symptoms: (1) aspiration (i.e., accidentally breathing in food or liquids when swallowing), (2) undernutrition, and/or (3) substantial weight loss as defined by § 4.112(a) and either a surgical correction of the esophageal stricture, or a feeding tube (i.e., PEG tube) used to bypass the esophagus.
  
  Related: GERD VA Disability Rating Changes

Medical Evidence Wins VA Claims

If you are a veteran suffering from GERD, our team of licensed providers at Telemedica can help write a disability benefits questionnaire. 

We can connect you with a licensed provider who understands your unique needs through our secure, private, and convenient platform. Contact us today!