The Veteran's surviving spouse is seeking additional accrued benefits, specifically SMC based on the need for aid and attendance. The claim was initially denied as untimely filed but was later found to be timely. However, there are outstanding VA treatment records that must be obtained before a decision can be made.
The deciding factor: There are outstanding VA treatment records that may provide relevant information about the Veteran's condition during his last year of life.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19130778
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to active military service and exposure to toxins.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing his systolic heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and coronary artery disease to active military service, including exposure to toxins.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and the cause of death, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic cardiomyopathy, diabetes type II, and left lower extremity PAD are remanded. The Board needs more information about the Veteran's exposures during service.
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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.