The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for pulmonary vascular disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease), erectile dysfunction, and a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for bronchitis due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for further medical examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that remand was necessary because there are outstanding VA treatment records from the Palo Alto VA and Monterey VA, and the Veteran's last VA examination for respiratory conditions was in 2015. The Veteran continues to report worsening respiratory symptoms and a VA examination with pulmonary function testing is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary vascular disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease), erectile dysfunction (deformity with loss of erectile power), bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19123855
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 19123855.
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 a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for neurologic signs or symptoms due to toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune and remanded the claim for further development regarding bronchitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bronchitis, COPD, asthma, and plantar fasciitis as not being related to the Veteran's military service. The Board also denied an increased rating for painful malunion of the left clavicle, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for bronchitis, COPD, asthma, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for OSA, and an increased rating higher than 20 percent for painful malunion of the left clavicle.
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