The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound due to a lack of an appropriate VA examination. The examiner must clarify if the Veteran is limited in his ability to bathe and toilet as a result of service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the June 2018 VA examination did not appropriately identify the extent to which the Veteran's service-connected disabilities impact his activities of daily living and self-care abilities.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, adjustment disorder with mixed emotional features including anxiety, depression, irritability, and dyssomnia, left knee osteoarthritis, right ankle strain with degenerative changes, right shoulder osteoarthritis status-post surgery, left hip strain, left ankle strain, right wrist strain and ulnar styloid cyst, right hip strain, right elbow strain, left shoulder strain, right knee strain, lumbar spine strain and degenerative disc disease with osteoarthritis at L3-4, cervical spine strain with degenerative disc disease C5-6, tinnitus, hiatal hernia and duodenal ulcers, left elbow dislocation with residual fragmentation, right foot metatarsophalangeal joint osteoarthritis, foreign body of the fifth metatarsal, opacity of plantar surface, and gout of the right great toe, fracture of the right long (third) finger, hypertension, hemorrhoids, status-post laceration of the right thigh with residual scar, right shoulder surgical scar associated with right shoulder osteoarthritis status-post surgery, pilonidal cyst and scar, status-post previous pilonidal cyst removal, tension headaches, right thigh subcutaneous nerve injury with decreased sensation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18151867
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 18151867.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
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