The Board has remanded the claims for an initial rating higher than 30 percent from August 31, 2010 to October 22, 2013 and from January 1, 2014 to April 19, 2015 for ischemic heart disease status post bypass surgery with pacemaker placement, as well as the claim for a rating higher than 60 percent for heart disease since April 20, 2015. The remand is due to concerns about the probative value of certain medical records and examinations.
The deciding factor: The Joint Motion raised concerns about the Board's reliance on certain medical records and examinations in determining the severity of the Veteran's heart disease, specifically regarding a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) from private treatment records and the lack of mention or evaluation of CHF in VA examinations. The Board found that these issues warranted further examination to ensure all relevant information is considered.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20077097
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 20077097.
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 claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a heart disability prior to his death is granted as he was entitled to accrued benefits due to the September 1994 claim, which included ischemic heart disease, a covered herbicide disease.
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