The Veteran's claim for service connection for gout, to include as secondary to sleep apnea, has been reopened. The issue of a rating in excess of 0 percent for the left ring finger disability and a separate 10 percent rating for symptoms analogous to amputation have also been remanded.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability remains denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the December 2009 denial relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claim of entitlement to service connection for gout, to include as secondary to sleep apnea, and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating it.,No new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"gout","secondary_to":"sleep apnea"}, {"condition_name":"an acquired psychiatric disability","secondary_to":null}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165184
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 19165184.
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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