The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 60 percent rating for actinic keratosis of the torso and extremities is granted, effective September 1, 2018. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating is remanded.
The deciding factor: The reduction in rating from 60% to 30% was improper as there was no actual improvement in the Veteran's condition that would warrant a lower rating under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Actinic Keratosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21062605
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 713 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 21062605.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has restored service connection for actinic keratosis and related scars, finding that the procedural requirements were not met in severing these conditions. The Board also found that the original grant of service connection was proper based on exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for multiple skin conditions and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the four extremities, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange), based on a lack of evidence establishing a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's presumed in-service exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for SMC at the housebound rate prior to February 3, 2020 was denied as he did not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) due to his entitlement to a TDIU based on multiple service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected seborrhea with actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma was found to affect more than 40 percent of his entire body, warranting a 60% disability rating.
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