Asthma decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's asthma. The matter will be reviewed again with a new opinion.

The Veteran's asthma has been granted service connection under the PACT Act. The remaining issues have been remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD has been reopened, but the evidence does not support reopening the claim for obstructive sleep apnea.,The Veteran's left wrist limitation of dorsiflexion and left wrist ganglion cyst have both been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and etiological opinions regarding his claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II; coronary atherosclerosis; aneurysm of the thoracic aorta; asthma; left hepatic lobe cysts; anemia; arthritis of the upper extremities; arthritis of the lower extremities; neuropathy of the lower extremities; and left lung calcium deposit. The claims are remanded due to potential exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for asthma and left shoulder strain are denied as the October 2015 rating decision is final, no new evidence was received within a year of the decision, and reconsideration under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) is not required.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, asthma, and sinus disabilities due to new evidence received since the August 1993 denial. The Veteran's current hearing loss is rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development and evidence.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded as it involves issues that have not been fully addressed.

The Veteran's MDD symptoms prior to July 8, 2022 did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent.,The Veteran was unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities (MDD and asthma) prior to July 8, 2022.

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, including pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), post-operative residuals of left acromioclavicular separation, and other conditions. The decision also includes requests for additional medical opinions and updated VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to comply with the August 2020 Joint Motion regarding sincerity of the Veteran's inability to complete pulmonary function testing. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, chronic bronchitis, and asthma have been rated at 50 percent since September 11, 2015. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 6847 (sleep apnea), 6600 (chronic bronchitis), or 6602 (asthma).

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from December 9, 2015 to April 9, 2023 due to service-connected disabilities. The claim for TDIU prior to December 9, 2015 is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for additional VR&E services, including training to pursue a medical degree, was granted. The Board found that the Veteran had service-connected disabilities and functional limitations that made it necessary to change his rehabilitation goal from biomedical sciences to medicine.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected right hip strain, GERD/acid reflux disease, asthma, and acquired psychiatric condition due to changes in symptoms since previous examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these increased rating claims.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, and asthma have been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The cases are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claim for right ear hearing loss has been dismissed as the Regional Office granted it.,Left ear hearing loss is denied due to lack of current disability.

The Veteran's chronic diarrhea, chronic gastritis, and diverticulosis are granted as due to in-service exposures in Southwest Asia. Asthma is granted effective August 10, 2022, based on the PACT Act presumption of service connection for asthma.,For the period prior to August 10, 2022, asthma was remanded.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claim of service connection for diabetes. The Veteran's testimony during his August 2022 hearing is both new and relevant to the question of service connection for diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchial thickening and bilateral peribranchial thickening of the lungs, as well as asthma, are being remanded due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether his respiratory disability pre-existed his federal active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to various conditions have been reopened, with the effective date of the award being May 17, 2016. The rating for migraine headaches has been increased to 30 percent prior to April 25, 2018, and denied thereafter.