The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Appellant's income and whether she has dependents, as well as to obtain a medical opinion regarding the cause of her husband's death. The issues of service connection for cause of death and service-connected burial allowance are also remanded.
The deciding factor: Additional evidence and clarification on the Appellant's financial situation and dependency status is needed, along with an assessment of whether the Veteran's dementia was related to his service-connected conditions or contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Alzheimer's dementia, peptic ulcer disease, scar of the abdomen
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2021
- Citation
- A21018753
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 A21018753.
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 depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal contesting eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in an October 3, 2025 rating decision. The AOJ issued a corrected FAN and amended FAN that replaced the previous decisions, leading to no valid appeal pending.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Alzheimer's dementia as secondary to bilateral hearing loss and special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to the Veteran's dementia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability, an acquired psychiatric disability (generalized anxiety disorder), peptic ulcer disease, and hypertension due to potential errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions and records. The AOJ is required to obtain these opinions and records.
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