The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether it is at least likely as not that the Veteran's hypertension had its onset in service, was related to service exposure to herbicide agents, or is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease associated with diabetes.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the November 2019 examiner did not provide an opinion on the aggravation prong of secondary service connection for hypertension in relation to diabetes or chronic kidney disease, as requested by the Board's December 2018 remand directives.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), chronic kidney disease associated with diabetes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20050169
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 20050169.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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