The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 60 percent for loss of use of bladder associated with service-connected multiple sclerosis is denied.,The Veteran's SMC appeal remains on hold and requires additional development to determine if a higher level of care was needed prior to February 29, 2016.
The deciding factor: The effective date for the increased rating cannot be earlier than June 13, 2016, as there is no evidence of record showing that the Veteran required a catheter or had an increase in her disability prior to this date.,Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's need for higher SMC was due to functional impairment related to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Multiple Sclerosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- July 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19152202
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 19152202.
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 multiple sclerosis, finding that it manifested to a degree of 10 percent or more within seven years of the Veteran's separation from service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for multiple sclerosis and remanded the claims for increased ratings due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to obtain additional evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's death was due to multiple sclerosis, which may have been caused by in-service herbicide exposure.
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