The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70% disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the increase in severity of his bilateral hearing loss did not occur within one year prior to November 7, 2016.,A higher rating for ischemic heart disease was granted with a 100% disability rating effective from February 1, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not worsen within the one-year period prior to November 7, 2016, and thus an earlier effective date is denied.,For ischemic heart disease, the VA examiner found that the limitation in METs level was due to multiple medical conditions including COPD and diastolic function. The Veteran's LVEF of 60% provided a more accurate picture of his service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Ischemic Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18150306
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 18150306.
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 bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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