Thyroid disorder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and dry eyes due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted effective July 3, 2018. The effective dates are based on the date of receipt of an intent to file a claim and not necessarily when the conditions were first experienced or diagnosed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error regarding when the Veteran's hypothyroidism first manifested.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and coronary arteriosclerosis, but has remanded the cases of urinary bladder cancer and hypothyroidism due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding an earlier effective date for service connection of hypothyroidism s/p ablation therapy, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for hypothyroidism is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error involving non-VA treatment records. The AOJ will obtain these records and associate them with the claims file.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and hypothyroidism were denied in September 2021. The appeals for these issues have been dismissed as the Veteran did not timely file a VA Form 10182 within one year of being notified of the denial.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hyperparathyroidism, finding that his condition is not causally or etiologically related to his active-duty service. The evidence did not support a presumption of exposure to herbicide agents as defined by VA regulation.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and coronary arteriosclerosis, but has remanded the cases of urinary bladder cancer and hypothyroidism due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bladder cancer was granted. The heart disability claim is remanded for readjudication on the merits. Service connection for thyroid disability is granted based on herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of thyroidectomy and isthmusectomy is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypothyroidism, left lower extremity sciatica, and right lower extremity sciatica due to a lack of VA examination in light of current disabilities and an in-service element.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for non-primary hypothyroidism and basal cell carcinoma due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents is conceded.

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The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and other specified trauma, was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement. The claim for tinnitus was granted. The claims for thyroid disability and migraine disability are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for osteoarthritis, increased ratings for hypertension and hypothyroidism, and a higher rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn and is dismissed due to the withdrawal of his Board Appeal for evaluation and effective date of hypothyroidism by his representative.

The Board has granted service connection for hypothyroidism, which means the Veteran's claim is dismissed as there are no longer any issues to appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 60 percent for hypothyroidism and TDIU prior to May 3, 2019 due to inadequate VA examinations. The case is being remanded again to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism throughout the appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for hypothyroidism, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his military service and specifically to exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange.