The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to adjudicate the special monthly compensation claim and has therefore remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound due to his service-connected conditions alone. The evidence is unclear regarding whether assistance is required mainly due to service-connected disabilities or if he is housebound due to them.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with radicular pain into both lower extremities, anxiety disorder with psychophysiological musculoskeletal reaction, radiculopathy of the left leg, radiculopathy of the right leg, dermatitis, rash in groin, gastroesophageal reflux disease, tension headaches, erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18118664
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 18118664.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal, including obtaining any outstanding treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's representative also requested reevaluation of his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
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