The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance and/or housebound status due to a psychiatric disorder. The claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the current acquired psychiatric disorders were onset in service or caused/aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that adjudication of the SMC claim is inextricably intertwined with the acquired psychiatric disorder claim, as a grant could affect the Veteran’s eligibility for SMC benefits. The claims are being remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the current acquired psychiatric disorders were onset in service or caused/aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 30, 2018
- Citation
- 18122451
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 18122451.
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.
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The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
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The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, back disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a failure to provide notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
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The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his unspecified neurocognitive disorder, which was diagnosed after a September 2021 heart surgery. The issues are about service connection on the merits.
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