The Board has granted service connection for diabetic retinopathy but has remanded the issues of service connection for an eye disorder other than diabetic retinopathy and Hashimoto's disease.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s currently service-connected diabetes mellitus type II is found to be a contributing factor in his development of CNVM, which was not caused by or aggravated by any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVM), Hashimoto's disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18160164
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 18160164.
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 asthma, hypertension with residuals including stroke, DM II, bilateral amputation of all toes, and diabetic neuropathy to obtain VA medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Board also remanded the claim for ED as it is inextricably intertwined with the DM II claim.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy were denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his symptoms, including his need for eye injections to treat his diabetic retinopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating and earlier effective date for Hashimoto's disease has been dismissed as the identical claim was adjudicated in a previous decision.
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