The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to clarify the nature and etiology of the Veteran's nonservice-connected psychiatric disorders, their relationship to his military service or a service-connected disability, and whether any contributed to his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The current medical evidence is unclear on the exact nature of the Veteran’s nonservice-connected psychiatric disorders and their etiology, as well as their relationship to his military service or a service-connected disability. The Board finds this information necessary for a proper determination.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, cognitive disorder not otherwise specified
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19116076
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 19116076.
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 remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder to ensure proper notice and a new VA psychiatric examination.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 10, 1985, for the grant of service connection for schizoaffective disorder based on newly received and relevant service department records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizoaffective disorder and PTSD.
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