The Board has granted service connection for polycythemia as secondary to the service-connected ischemic heart disease, but denied an earlier effective date.
The deciding factor: Service connection for polycythemia was granted as secondary to the service-connected ischemic heart disease, and the earliest possible effective date is the date of service connection for ischemic heart disease (May 9, 2017).
- Claimed conditions
- polycythemia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- A20015225
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A20015225.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines (headaches) is granted. The claim for service connection for polycythemia and sleep apnea is denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's polycythemia requires phlebotomy six or more times during a 12 month period, and thus an initial evaluation of 60 percent is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for eczema, as secondary to his service-connected polycythemia, needs further examination and opinion. The case is therefore REMANDED.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The increased rating claim for PTSD in excess of 30 percent is denied. The matter of service connection for polycythemia as secondary to service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.
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