Bipolar disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the remand is necessary due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bipolar II disorder is proximately due to or aggravated by her service-connected disabilities of the feet. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.

The Veteran's initial claim for a 70 percent rating for PTSD with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, was granted. The effective date for service connection of genital warts is set at January 29, 2014.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient service treatment records and the need for a VA psychiatric examination. The Veteran's claims for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders are being reviewed based on new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete addendum opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bipolar disorder was denied as there were no pending claims prior to October 15, 2009.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC under 38 U.S.C. 1114(s) was denied because the criteria for SMC were not met until January 31, 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to uncertainty regarding the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD and the need for a new medical opinion on the etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bipolar disorder was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.,Her initial evaluation for lumbar myofascial syndrome remains at 10 percent, but the case is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, variously diagnosed as delusional disorder and/or bipolar disorder. The appeal of the right arm disability issue is remanded.

The Board has ordered additional examinations and requested updated medical records to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including chronic paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as his eye disability, including glaucoma. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and PTSD, is reopened. The appeal is granted in part.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of bipolar disorder is denied. The earlier effective date request for a 50 percent evaluation prior to September 18, 2015 is also denied.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, due to conflicting opinions from the VA examiner regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder is granted a 100% rating, and service connection for various conditions including pulmonary disorder, cervical spine disorder, bilateral upper extremity nerve disorder, bilateral hip/thigh disorder, and bilateral foot disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, bipolar disorder I with alcohol use disorder, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination. The examiner will determine if there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's pre-existing psychiatric disabilities did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 30, 2014 for the grant of service connection for bipolar disorder on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a June 1982 rating decision is dismissed due to the subsuming doctrine.

The Veteran's bipolar affective disorder is rated at a 100 percent rating, effective from the date of this decision. The issue of TDIU prior to December 29, 2015, has been dismissed as moot due to the award of a total (100 percent) rating for bipolar affective disorder.

The Veteran's initial 70 percent rating for bipolar disorder is granted, and a TDIU is also granted. The appeals for service connection for sleep apnea, thyroid problems, and nonservice-connected pension are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disability diagnosed during the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for bipolar disorder and an earlier effective date for the grant of total disability based on individual unemployability are being remanded due to procedural issues with the RAMP program.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional medical inquiry into service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD due to MST, and for a higher rating for migraines. The TDIU claim is also on appeal.