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.
The deciding factor: There are contradictory medical opinions on whether the Veteran's preexisting congenital heart disorder was aggravated during his period of active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 29, 2015
- Citation
- 1542165
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 1542165.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
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.
- 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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