BVA decisions by condition
Hemorrhoids: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a hemorrhoids issue in 1,275 decisions. It granted the hemorrhoids issue in 15.8% of them, below the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 49.1%, and remanded it in 34.6%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 24.4% were granted.
Decisions
1,275
2018–2026
Granted
15.8%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
24.4%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
34.6%
Denied: 49.1%
Hemorrhoids outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 102 | 11.8% | 51.0% | 36.3% |
| 2019 | 119 | 13.4% | 47.9% | 40.3% |
| 2020 | 151 | 20.5% | 48.3% | 31.1% |
| 2021 | 165 | 15.8% | 53.9% | 30.9% |
| 2022 | 122 | 14.8% | 41.8% | 41.0% |
| 2023 | 154 | 13.0% | 44.8% | 40.9% |
| 2024 | 192 | 17.2% | 46.9% | 34.9% |
| 2025 | 202 | 15.3% | 53.5% | 31.2% |
| 2026 | 68 | 22.1% | 54.4% | 22.1% |
Evidence in granted and denied hemorrhoids decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the hemorrhoids 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treating physician opinion | 58 | 44.4% | 23.5% | +21.0 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 215 | 38.4% | 21.4% | +16.9 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 206 | 33.6% | 23.0% | +10.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 385 | 31.0% | 21.7% | +9.3 pts |
| Combat service | 61 | 33.3% | 24.1% | +9.3 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,118 | 24.6% | 23.0% | +1.6 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 66.3% of the decisions that granted hemorrhoids.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 45.0% of grants and 20.0% 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 hemorrhoids 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 | 558 | 21.3% | 26.5% | −5.3 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,077 | 22.7% | 37.6% | −14.9 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied hemorrhoids
Most common reasons in grants
- Already at the maximum schedular rating12
- Current diagnosis established11
- No evidence of persistent bleeding with secondary anemia or fissures5
- Persistent bleeding3
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim42
- Already at the maximum schedular rating27
- No evidence of persistent bleeding with secondary anemia or fissures23
- No persistent bleeding with secondary anemia or fissures17
- No evidence of large or thrombotic hemorrhoids12
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis10
- Did not meet criteria for compensable rating10
- No persistent bleeding, secondary anemia, or fissures9
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 hemorrhoids decisions
Granted
Persistent bleeding noted; Secondary anemia considered; Met criteria for 20% rating
Persistent bleeding; Frequent recurrences; Approximates 20% rating criteria
Evidence evenly balanced regarding severity and frequency of symptoms without medication; Reasonable doubt resolved in Veteran's favor; Symptoms did not meet criteria for higher ratings
Denied
No anemia, fissures, or continuously prolapsed internal hemorrhoids; Symptoms contemplated by current 10 percent rating; Revised criteria for 10 percent rating met
VA examinations documented persistent bleeding and external hemorrhoids.; Board found maximum 20 percent rating appropriate under both old and new criteria.; Evidence did not support higher rating or presence of anemia.
Symptoms did not meet criteria for 10% rating under new or old criteria; No evidence of persistent bleeding, anemia, or thrombosis; External hemorrhoids characterized as mild or moderate
Rules that apply to hemorrhoids 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 hemorrhoids 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 hemorrhoids 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.