The veteran's only service-connected disability (rheumatic heart disease) rated at 100% is sufficient to warrant SMC based on housebound status, as the condition confers a need for regular aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The veteran's rheumatic heart disease alone meets the criteria for SMC based on housebound status due to its substantial impact on his ability to perform self-care activities.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- May 1, 2006
- Citation
- 0612484
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (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 0612484.
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 claim for service connection for rheumatic heart disease was granted. The claim for hypertensive vascular disease was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, and dementia due to potential TERA exposure. The rating for bilateral hearing loss is also being remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date prior to November 2, 2017, and higher ratings for his heart disability and bilateral knee disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date is November 2, 2017, when VA received the claim after final disallowance. For the knee disabilities, the evidence did not show limitation of flexion to less than 30 degrees or more exacerbations per year.
- Granted
The Veteran's rheumatic heart disease with coronary artery disease, status post stent placement is rated at 60 percent effective April 20, 2023.
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