WingmanOpen the free toolsWingmanOpen the free toolsIf the VA already service-connected your stomach ulcer (also called stomach ulcer, ulcer, peptic ulcer, peptic ulcer disease), it can cause or worsen other conditions that are ratable on their own. These "secondary" claims are where many veterans leave money on the table. Below is what a service-connected stomach ulcer commonly leads to, why, and what evidence each one takes.
A secondary claim only works if the primary condition (stomach ulcer) is already service-connected, and you have a nexus — a doctor's opinion that it is "at least as likely as not" the cause. More on nexus letters →
Upper-GI acid disease and reflux frequently travel together, and reflux is rated under its own code rather than folded into the ulcer rating.
What you'd need: An endoscopy or imaging report, plus records of the reflux symptoms and the daily medication used to control them.
The ulcer rating criteria themselves describe recurrent hematemesis (vomiting blood) or melena (tarry stools) with manifestations of anemia, so bleeding-related anemia is an expected consequence rather than a stretch.
What you'd need: Lab work showing the anemia, plus records tying the blood loss to the ulcer.
Chronic gastritis is rated as peptic ulcer disease under the schedule, and the same code note lists H. pylori infection and drug-induced gastritis.
What you'd need: Endoscopy or biopsy confirming gastritis, plus the treatment record.