The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea. The case is also remanded for obtaining a completed TDIU application form and for requesting an addendum opinion from the examiner who provided the September 2022 VA medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea, necessitating further examination and opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified depressive disorder, unspecified anxiety disorder, substance abuse disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22071839
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 22071839.
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 service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder alone warrants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), and he has additional service-connected disabilities rated at least 60 percent. The Board grants special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorders were rated at a 70 percent disability rating effective May 6, 2015.,Effective May 6, 2015, the Veteran was granted an earlier effective date for DEA benefits.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current unspecified depressive disorder is related to his service-connected disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder with insomnia disorder is rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that this rating is not sufficient to reflect his disability picture.
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