The Veteran's service-connected mood disorder is rated at 100 percent, but the VA proposes reducing this rating to 70 percent. The Board finds that both issues are inextricably intertwined and must be deferred until the proposed reduction decision is resolved.
The deciding factor: The proposed reduction of the Veteran’s rating for her service-connected mood disorder from 100 to 70 percent has been identified as affecting both the permanent total disability rating claim and the DEA benefits eligibility determination, making them inextricably intertwined.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19147949
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, to include major depressive disorder, mood disorder, and unspecified depressive disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a mood disorder as secondary to the service-connected headaches or tinnitus, finding no probative evidence linking the two conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher disability rating for stress-related headaches, as well as remanded the claim for a higher disability rating for a mood disorder due to a scheduling issue.
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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.