The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable initial rating for bilateral keratoconus prior to December 7, 1999 and for a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral keratoconus from December 7, 1999 due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to provide VA with relevant treatment records from the Boston VA Medical Center and Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center prior to 1999.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is not enough information in the record regarding the Veteran's bilateral keratoconus prior to December 7, 1999 and from December 7, 1999. Therefore, additional evidence is needed to support the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral keratoconus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068527
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 Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as there was no evidence supporting a compensable rating or service connection for any of the claimed conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's eye condition, based on visual impairment in both eyes.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the issues of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral keratoconus and an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for a mid-back disability due to an impermissible concurrent election.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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