The Board has decided to remand the claims of a compensable rating for hypertension and service connection for sleep apnea due to new evidence received after the March 2019 decision. The Veteran's hypertension claim is being remanded for consideration of staged ratings, while the sleep apnea claim requires an addendum opinion regarding whether it is 'undebatable' that the condition existed prior to his period of active service and was not aggravated by periods of active duty.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional evidence related to the hypertension claim must be reviewed by the AOJ in the first instance due to its receipt after the March 2019 decision. For the sleep apnea claim, an addendum opinion is needed to address whether it is 'undebatable' that the condition existed prior to service and was not aggravated by periods of active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21022684
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21022684.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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