The Board has ordered the RO to obtain a comprehensive medical opinion concerning the merits of the current claim, which includes a discussion of the alleged contributions of the service-connected tinnitus and/or hearing loss, and anxiety disorder, to the veteran's death from a heart attack. The RO is also advised that they must ensure all available development actions are completed in compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.
The deciding factor: The Board has ordered additional medical opinion and development as required by the June 2001 remand order.
- Claimed conditions
- heart attack
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2003
- Citation
- 0306769
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 0306769.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and tinnitus, but denied service connection for depression, chronic ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), acne, arthritis, heart attack, thyroid disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, catarrhal fever (common cold), foot disability, ventral hernia, dental disability, and a rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder with bipolar spectrum disorder prior to January 3, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all the conditions claimed by the Veteran, as there was no competent medical evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for non-obstructive coronary artery disease and denied service connection for a heart attack and valvular heart disease.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for non-obstructive coronary artery disease and denied service connection for a heart attack and valvular heart disease.
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