The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date prior to July 16, 1993 for his total compensation rating based on individual unemployability. The RO initially granted this benefit in November 1997 and later changed it to July 16, 1993 due to service connection for nicotine dependence and secondary heart disease.
The deciding factor: The effective date of the award was determined to be July 16, 1993 based on the grant of service connection for nicotine dependence and secondary heart disease which occurred on that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Nicotine dependence, Arteriosclerotic heart disease with a pacemaker, Hypertension, Residuals of myocardial infarction due to tobacco use and/or nicotine dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- June 22, 2001
- Citation
- 0116899
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 0116899.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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