The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass graft. The Board finds that remand is necessary to consider whether his prior cardiovascular claim reasonably encompassed an informal claim for CAD.
The deciding factor: The RO's failure to apply Nehmer regulations, which allow earlier effective dates for service connection claims based on exposure to herbicides, constituted an error in the rating decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2022
- Citation
- A22022978
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 A22022978.
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 claim for service connection for CAD, heart block, and coronary artery bypass graft was granted with an effective date of January 9, 1998.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of coronary artery disease (CAD) is being remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding the November 2021 echocardiogram and whether dyspnea can be attributed to CAD.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased initial disability rating of 60 percent for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction is granted. The other claims are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 1, 2015 for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction based on presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure during Vietnam service.
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