The veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claims to reopen service connection for defective vision of the right eye, arthritis of the cervical spine, stomach disorder, residuals of left knee injury, and frostbite of the feet are denied as new and material evidence has not been submitted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent based on symptoms such as constricted affect, anxious mood, feelings of restlessness, and fair memory. The GAF scores have never been less than 80, indicating no more than slight impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- July 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0314783
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 0314783.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep disturbances, to include obstructive sleep apnea, as secondary to an anxiety disorder. The increased rating claim for the anxiety disorder was denied, and the heart condition claim was dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and remanded several issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities.
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