The Board has granted an increased rating of 30 percent for the veteran's residuals of rheumatic fever, including rheumatic heart disease with mitral regurgitation. The effective date remains pending as it is being remanded to determine a proper effective date.
The deciding factor: The veteran's residuals of rheumatic fever have been rated under the criteria most favorable to him since January 12, 1998, and his claim for an increased rating has been granted.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease with mitral regurgitation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- April 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0609666
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 425 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0609666.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for several conditions, including low back disability and diabetes mellitus, type II, were granted. The claim for rheumatic fever was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the appeal for further development due to new evidence added since the April 2024 supplemental statement of the case and consideration of both the former and revised versions of the rating criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for several issues including earlier effective dates and increased disability ratings for heart conditions, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability. The Veteran's private treatment records are missing and need to be obtained.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hand and left ankle conditions, which may be related to rheumatic fever. The case is being remanded for further evaluation.
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