Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board denied the veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection for heart disease and special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance, finding that the earliest date of receipt of claims was January 17, 1998.

The deciding factor: The Board determined that the earliest date of receipt of claims for both benefits was January 17, 1998, which is when VA received the appellant's application for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance. The effective dates were therefore fixed as of this date.

Claimed conditions
heart disease
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
September 5, 2000
Citation
0023546

This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0023546.

What this means for you

A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.