The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 3, 2016, for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease is denied. The Board finds that the earliest allowable effective date under the law is January 3, 2016.,The Veteran’s Raynaud’s disease secondary to his service-connected CAD disability is remanded for further examination and medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current 30 percent rating for coronary artery disease adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on the best measure of cardiac function, which is left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at over 50 percent.,VA received the Veteran’s service connection claim for coronary artery disease on January 3, 2017, more than one year after the effective date of the law that added CAD as a presumptive disability due to in-service exposure to herbicides. Therefore, the earliest allowable effective date is January 3, 2016.,The October 2017 VA examiner did not provide an adequate medical opinion regarding whether Raynaud’s disease was caused or aggravated by his service-connected CAD.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease (CAD), Raynaud’s disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19170095
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 19170095.
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 Veteran's current coronary artery disease with acute, subacute, or old myocardial infarction with coronary stent is being remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a medical nexus between his service-connected hypertension and his heart condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance from June 1, 2011, to May 24, 2017, finding that his need for regular aid and attendance was not established during this period.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and obstructive sleep apnea have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence for the claims of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The AOJ is required to readjudicate these claims, taking into consideration all submitted evidence.
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