The Veteran's appeal is remanded for obtaining additional medical records and conducting a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected coronary artery bypass graft. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the increased rating claim.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for new evidence and further evaluation, particularly regarding the Veteran's ability to work due to his heart condition.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery bypass graft
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20077031
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 20077031.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for CAD, heart block, and coronary artery bypass graft was granted with an effective date of January 9, 1998.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of coronary artery disease (CAD) is being remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding the November 2021 echocardiogram and whether dyspnea can be attributed to CAD.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a heart disability, as there was no evidence of an intent to file a claim prior to August 7, 2023, and the Nehmer provisions did not apply.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a cardiovascular disability, including coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass graft, and acute/subacute/old myocardial infarction, as the evidence did not support a finding of a causal or etiological relationship between the Veteran's military service and his claimed conditions.
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