The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to outstanding VA medical records and the need for additional opinions regarding his heart disability claims. The earlier effective date claim is inextricably intertwined with the heart disability claim.
The deciding factor: Additional development is required as there are outstanding records and further clarification on the relationship between service, exposure, and current diagnoses is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- septal hypokinesis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitation, aortic regurgitation
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2018
- Citation
- 1813348
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1813348.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and mitral regurgitation associated with Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure is granted. The Board found that the diagnosed conditions originated as a result of his presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during active duty.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD as secondary to the Veteran's PTSD and tinnitus, but denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, right ear hearing loss, chronic sinus condition, bilateral hand condition, jaw condition, aortic regurgitation, discoid lupus, residuals of peptic ulcer, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, cervical spine disability, left upper extremity (LUE) radiculopathy secondary to cervical spine disability, and right upper extremity (RUE) radiculopathy secondary to cervical spine disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disability, to include heart dysfunction and mitral regurgitation, due to an inadequate VA opinion.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 1, 1993, for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea and April 10, 2006, for the grant of service connection for a lumbar disability. The claim for an earlier effective date prior to January 23, 2019, for the grant of service connection for mitral regurgitation was denied.
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