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I'll be explaining compensation and pension or CMP exams for gastroesophageal reflux disease also
called GERD gerd is a digestive disorder that's characterized by the occurrence of stomach acid
flowing back up the esophagus from the stomach which causes discomfort and inflammation it's
essentially frequent episodes of acid reflux common symptoms of GERD can include things like
heartburn difficulty swallowing regurgitation and chest pain typically gerd is rated analogous to a
hiatal hernia under the regulation 38 CFR 4.114 under diagnostic code 7346 it'll be rated at a
10 30 or 60 rating depending on the severity and the symptoms that are associated with it
analogous ratings like in this example are used when certain conditions are not specifically
listed in va's rating schedule if a condition is not listed VA will rate it under a diagnostic
code for a condition that's closest to or that requires the same treatment so in this example
gerd is not specifically listed under the rating schedule but it has very similar symptoms to
hiatal hernia and it's often treated with similar methods CMP examinations are medical exams that VA
requests to examine a veteran's condition or their disabilities so for this example it'll be GERD
your exam is going to depend on what you're seeking if you're seeking service connection
or an increased rating what questions The Examiner asks may vary slightly in most
examinations they should be asking you questions about the symptoms that you're experiencing and
the severity of those symptoms The Examiner may also administer a blood test to help screen for
things like anemia if that's a symptom that you experience as a as related to your GERD
if you're seeking service connection they may also ask questions regarding the onset of your symptoms
um details about your military service or whether there's a link between your military service
or other service connected conditions so it's really on it really important that you're honest
with your provider about your gerd symptoms throughout the exam and also note any other
conditions that you think May contribute to your GERD some examples might be things
like PTSD COPD if you're taking NSAIDs for pain treatment for maybe like a back condition that's
causing pain some of those different things can contribute to or worsen symptoms of GERD
veterans are also able to request copy of their CMP exam results after the exam has
been completed so that they can go over it and ensure that everything was documented correctly
if it was not documented correctly or the exam was unfavorable veterans do have the
option to challenge that exam and submit extra evidence to support their claim
in gerd cases veterans might want to consider having their primary care or treating physician
fill out a disability benefits questionnaire or a dpq form this form is more or less the same
information that a CMP examiner would be filling out during a CNP exam but it just gives your own
healthcare provider a space to answer questions about your disability related to the symptoms
that you experience the severity what may have caused it or whether it's related to any of your
other service connected conditions and sometimes it's good to have someone who's familiar with
you and your record and your medical background to provide some of this information to VA and I think
that's a good place for us to end this video for more information on VA claims for GERD CMP exams
and the rating schedule you can check out our other videos or head over to our blog thank you
so much for watching and don't forget to like this video And subscribe to our Channel [Music]