Bipolar disorder Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to September 26, 2002 for service connection for bipolar disorder based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The decision found that the November 1994 rating decision was not erroneous and correctly applied the applicable laws and regulations.

The veteran's PTSD and associated Bipolar Disorder are currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for these conditions. The evidence does not show that his symptoms warrant a higher evaluation.

The VA determined that the veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD, incurred or aggravated during his military service. The Board found no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis of bipolar paranoid schizophrenia and concluded there is no link between the veteran's alleged in-service harassment and his current condition.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for an acquired neuro-psychiatric disorder, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the previously denied claim. The preponderance of the medical evidence did not support a finding that any of the appellant's acquired neuro-psychiatric disorders were incurred in or aggravated by his period of active duty for training.

The veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and a mental condition. The VA has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disabilities diagnosed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current psychiatric disabilities were incurred in or caused by active military service.

The veteran's medical expenses at Anderson Mercy Hospital were not authorized in advance by VA, and reimbursement is denied as no prior authorization was obtained.

The Board found that the veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression, were not related to his service. The earliest medical evidence of these conditions was dated over a decade after he left active duty.

The veteran's bipolar disorder has been productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a disability rating of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bipolar affective disorder was incurred in service and granted his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for VCAA-compliant notification and VA compensation examination reports.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bipolar disorder, anger, and depression must be remanded due to missing VA treatment records and a need to consider his PTSD claim.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, with a current combined rating of 70 percent disabling, results in an inability to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience.

The case is REMANDED to the RO for further development and readjudication.

The Board found that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, was not related to service. The claim for PTSD is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during service.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder with depression and anxiety is being remanded due to the failure to schedule a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining additional information about the veteran's claimed stressors and providing a VA examination to assess whether his current mental health conditions are related to service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic headaches and bipolar disorder, finding that new evidence supports these claims. The veteran's PTSD claim was denied due to lack of combat duty and unconfirmed in-service stressor. Service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and skin disorders were not granted as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder, with anxiety neurosis and depression, is manifested by total occupational impairment, suicidal ideations and repeated suicide attempts requiring hospitalization, as well as consistently low Global Assessment Functioning (GAF) scores, reflective of an inability to function in almost all areas. A 50 percent rating has been granted from May 7, 2004.