The Veteran's wife is appealing for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status. The current evidence does not support this claim as a VA examiner concluded that it was due to non-service-connected conditions, but no opinion was provided regarding service-connected disabilities alone.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone necessitated aid and attendance or housebound status.
- Claimed conditions
- non-service-connected medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), atrial fibrillation, and extreme morbid obesity
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20027435
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 20027435.
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
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