The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and his CAD rating from February 28, 2018 has been increased to 30 percent.,Service connection for COPD remains pending due to the need for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on his audiometric test results, which showed no worse than Level II hearing loss in both ears. His CAD was rated at 30 percent from February 28, 2018 due to symptoms at 5-7 METS and evidence of cardiac hypertrophy.,Service connection for COPD is pending as the VA examiner did not address whether it is related to his service-connected CAD or if it is aggravated by his CAD.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease (CAD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2022
- Citation
- 22069177
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 22069177.
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 bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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