The Board has determined that the evidence submitted since the November 1991 rating decision is not new and material, and thus does not serve to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of rheumatic fever.
The deciding factor: The evidence received was considered but did not meet the criteria for being both new and material as it merely repeated the veteran's assertions regarding his history of having rheumatic fever while in service.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic fever, residuals of rheumatic fever
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2002
- Citation
- 0214371
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0214371.
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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- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a left-hand condition is dismissed as the Veteran was granted service connection for mononeuropathy to the left hand fourth finger with parasthesia of skin in an October 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.
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