The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of ischemic heart disease and establishing eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The decision also addressed his claim for SMC at the housebound rate, which was granted retroactively to August 27, 2004.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the earliest effective date possible for service connection of ischemic heart disease is August 27, 2004. The earlier effective dates requested were not supported by the evidence and did not arise before this date.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Urinary incontinence
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2015
- Citation
- 1515696
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 1515696.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 30 percent prior to July 18, 2014, and a higher than 60 percent rating thereafter for ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to incomplete evidence. The examiner needs to provide more detailed information about the severity of his service-connected condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and increased rating for ischemic heart disease due to a failure by the AOJ to request SSA records, which were not available.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, status post stent placement, as well as obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for urinary incontinence and left ankle sprain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to her military service.
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