The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development regarding service connection for sleep apnea with hypoxia, as well as the initial rating for hypertension and service connection for diverticulosis (claimed as diverticulitis) and diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion provided in November 2013 did not address whether sleep apnea was aggravated by the service-connected hypertension or if it was caused or aggravated by PTSD. The RO should obtain an addendum medical opinion to provide this information.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"myopia of left and right eye"}, {"condition_name":"hypertension","rating_assigned":null,"effective_date":null}, {"condition_name":"sleep apnea with hypoxia","presumed_exposure_basis":null,"exposure_basis":null}, {"condition_name":"diverticulosis (claimed as diverticulitis)","rating_assigned":null,"effective_date":null}, {"condition_name":"diabetes mellitus","rating_assigned":null,"effective_date":null}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19126924
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.