BVA decisions by condition
Anemia: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a anemia issue in 828 decisions. It granted the anemia issue in 11.0% of them, below the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 24.2%, and remanded it in 63.3%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 31.3% were granted.
Decisions
828
2018–2026
Granted
11.0%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
31.3%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
63.3%
Denied: 24.2%
Anemia outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 4.4% | 23.1% | 71.4% |
| 2020 | 117 | 11.1% | 29.9% | 58.1% |
| 2021 | 110 | 10.0% | 27.3% | 60.0% |
| 2022 | 123 | 10.6% | 27.6% | 60.2% |
| 2023 | 116 | 11.2% | 17.2% | 69.0% |
| 2024 | 98 | 14.3% | 19.4% | 63.3% |
| 2025 | 99 | 15.2% | 19.2% | 65.7% |
Evidence in granted and denied anemia decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the anemia issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 129 | 71.0% | 20.5% | +50.4 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 256 | 61.2% | 14.9% | +46.3 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 104 | 60.7% | 24.3% | +36.5 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 46 | 54.5% | 29.4% | +25.2 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 228 | 43.3% | 25.9% | +17.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 629 | 28.7% | 44.7% | −16.0 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 67.0% of the decisions that granted anemia.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 29.7% of grants and 13.5% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often anemia was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 434 | 28.7% | 34.6% | −6.0 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 601 | 28.6% | 40.3% | −11.7 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied anemia
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established20
- Caused by the service-connected disability12
- Service connection established6
- Service records negative or silent2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis25
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis23
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim19
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service16
- Service records negative or silent15
- No continuity of symptomatology6
- Not shown as chronic in service5
- Current diagnosis established5
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent anemia decisions
Granted
Current diagnosis of normocytic anemia.; Service-connected chronic hemorrhoids.; Dr. D.G. opined hemorrhoids aggravated anemia beyond natural progression.; Chronic blood loss is a recognized aggravating factor.
VA failed to rebut presumption of soundness for anemia.; Probative June 2024 VA opinion linked anemia to GERD.; Conflicting opinions were inadequate or speculative.
Veteran has current diagnosis of anemia; Veteran has service-connected IBS; Mild intermittent anemia found related to or caused by IBS
Denied
No current diagnosis of anemia; Service treatment records silent for anemia; Post-service medical records silent for anemia; VA examinations show normal red blood cell counts; Veteran provided no evidence or argument for service connection
Persuasively weighs against service connection; No manifestation in service; No presumptive period relation; No etiologic relation to service
Claimed secondary to Lyme disease; Service connection for Lyme disease denied; No primary service-connected disability for secondary claim
Rules that apply to anemia claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your anemia case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a anemia issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.