The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for congenital heart disease as new and material evidence was not submitted, despite the Veteran having made multiple attempts.
The deciding factor: The additional evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim as it did not show aggravation of the disability during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0918593
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0918593.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, including congenital heart disease. The Veteran's congenital heart disease was diagnosed prior to service and worsened beyond its natural progression during active service due to strenuous physical activity.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently have a diagnosed heart disorder, and thus cannot establish service connection for congenital heart disease or bicuspid aortic valve.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for congenital heart disease due to new and material evidence. However, further development is needed as there are conflicting opinions regarding whether his preexisting condition was aggravated during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
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