The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, diabetes mellitus type II, and rheumatoid arthritis. The cases are remanded to further develop evidence related to these issues.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted after the final denial includes diagnoses of fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, which may be linked to service-connected disabilities or active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Diabetes mellitus type II, Rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19177221
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 claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and a right wrist condition due to the withdrawal of the appeals by the Veteran's attorney.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding no evidence that the Veteran's diabetes resulted from her active military service or was caused by her service-connected hypertension.
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