The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease, to include angina associated with posttraumatic stress syndrome, is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: There were inconsistencies in the findings of the March 2019 DBQ and the April 2019 VA examination regarding the Veteran's diagnosis of chronic congestive heart failure and workload level. Additionally, a retrospective medical opinion was needed to determine the severity of his arteriosclerotic heart disease from November 2012 to March 2019.
- Claimed conditions
- arteriosclerotic heart disease, angina associated with posttraumatic stress syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2020
- Citation
- A20019207
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 A20019207.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, as he does not have physical loss of use of hands or feet, permanent impairment of vision in both eyes, severe burn injury, ALS, or ankylosis of knees or hips.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease is rated at 60% and has rendered him unemployable from February 17, 2023 to July 24, 2023. The Board also granted a special monthly compensation based on the housebound criteria.
- Granted
The Veteran's eczema is rated at a 60 percent rating from March 31, 2014.,A 60 percent rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease has been granted. The effective date of the award is August 10, 2022.,TDIU benefits are granted starting from August 10, 2022.,Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits have an effective date of August 10, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in providing notice of a hearing and for reopening the claim.
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