The Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, and skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) have been denied. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.,The Veteran's right knee scar associated with his TKA has not received an effective date prior to October 30, 2013.
The deciding factor: Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, and skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) cannot be established as there is no medical evidence showing a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.,The effective date of an award of service connection based on an original claim will be the date of receipt of the claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later. There was no communication prior to October 30, 2013 indicating intent to file a claim for service connection for a right knee scar.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19169310
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19169310.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
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