The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has also remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as the increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the earliest possible effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was January 24, 2018, which is when the Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim was received. The claims for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as the increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22051303
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 22051303.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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