The Veteran's claim for hypertension, secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions, has been reopened and remanded.,The Veteran's claim for seizure disorder remains denied as new and material evidence was not received.,Left ear hearing loss is rated at 0 percent effective May 20, 2014. The issue of an earlier effective date is remanded.,Diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent and the Veteran's request for a higher rating remains denied.,PTSD, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, coronary artery disease, hypertension (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions), acid reflux (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus), and erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus) are all remanded.,The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for left ear hearing loss is also remanded.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been received that relates to the unestablished fact of a current diagnosis of PTSD and its relationship to hypertension, which raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,No new and material evidence was submitted for seizure disorder as no evidence was provided showing onset during service or within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated at 0 percent due to Level III impairment in both ears combined, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6100.,Diabetes mellitus requires use of an oral hypoglycemic agent and a restricted diet but no insulin or regulation of activities. The Veteran's medical records do not support these additional requirements needed for a higher rating.,PTSD, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, coronary artery disease, hypertension (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions), acid reflux (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus), and erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus) are all remanded as the Veteran's medical records do not support these additional requirements needed for a higher rating.,The issue of an earlier effective date for left ear hearing loss is also remanded as no new evidence has been provided showing onset during service or within one year of separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, seizure disorder, left ear hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive disorder, coronary artery disease, sleep disorder, acid reflux, erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2018
- Citation
- 18146956
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 18146956.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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 remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.