The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bipolar disorder has been withdrawn. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected sarcoidosis is being reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection for hypertension is also being remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal on bipolar disorder, and the claim for sleep apnea has been reopened based on new evidence received since the last denial in August 2008. The claim for hypertension remains pending as it requires additional medical examination to determine if there is a link between the service-connected sarcoidosis and the current hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder, Sleep Apnea (secondary to service-connected sarcoidosis), Hypertension (secondary to service-connected sarcoidosis), Arthritis of the wrists, hands, and fingers
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1624749
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 1624749.
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 Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder has resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100% disability rating effective August 8, 2018.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not attributable to his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for a right knee condition are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ must attempt to verify the claimed stressor events and provide a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's PTSD and bipolar disorder, as well as a failure to provide an adequate VA examination prior to the rating decision.
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