The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for COPD and heart conditions secondary to bronchitis due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran will need to provide additional evidence, including private healthcare records from Riverbend, and a VA examination is needed to address her symptoms and the continuity of her respiratory issues since service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing medical opinions are insufficient and there are gaps in the record regarding the Veteran's treatment history and symptomatology. Therefore, further evaluation by a VA examiner is necessary to provide a reasoned opinion on the etiology of her COPD and heart conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Congestive Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy, Status-post heart transplant, Pacemaker implant
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22030088
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 22030088.
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 appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination focusing on his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his eligibility for benefits, as well as his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 100 percent for CAD was granted effective November 28, 2023. The effective date is based on the date of a VA examination showing the increase in disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Congestive Heart Failure with Atrial Fibrillation with AICD and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), finding that there was no evidence of direct service connection, and that the conditions were not caused or aggravated by service-connected OSA.
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