The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and chronic thyroiditis due to inadequate examinations conducted by physician assistants instead of requested specialists, and because the examinations did not adequately address whether the Veteran's symptoms during active service were early manifestations of her later diagnosed conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA examinations were insufficient as they did not provide opinions from the requested specialists (rheumatologist for rheumatoid arthritis and endocrinologist for chronic thyroiditis) or adequately addressed the Veteran's in-service symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2021
- Citation
- 21008823
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 21008823.
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 Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hepatic steatosis have been denied. The claim for rheumatoid arthritis is being remanded.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions.
- Partly granted
Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome is granted.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset in service or as a result of a disease or injury in active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blackouts and fainting spells, a bilateral foot condition, and rheumatoid arthritis due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
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