The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder has been reopened. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of this claim. However, the Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders due to his current symptoms being within the range of mild or transient symptoms that decrease work efficiency during periods of significant stress.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s PTSD currently results in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as he has no deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. His symptoms are within the range of mild to moderate.
- Claimed conditions
- skin disorder, PTSD, left ear sensorineural hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, ischemic heart disease, skin disorder (claimed as a rash)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19150248
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 ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder during the appeal period.
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