The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for PTSD and hearing loss are denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to the date of receipt of his VA Form 21-526 EZ Fully Developed Claim on January 25, 2017.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus is also denied as he did not file a valid intent to file a claim prior to March 9, 2018. The claims are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss requires additional evidence and a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his condition.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus is remanded as there is conflicting evidence regarding the treatment regimen required due to his diabetes. A new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his diabetes and any associated complications.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for blurred eyesight requires a VA examination to determine if it is related to service or caused by his diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD requires a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his condition since his last examination in March 2019.,The Veteran's claim for prostate discomfort requires a VA examination to determine if it is related to service or caused by his diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims and service connection claims on appeal.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to January 25, 2017, for PTSD and hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus was not filed within one year of the September 2017 NOD.,The Veteran did not file a valid intent to file a claim prior to March 9, 2018, for diabetes mellitus. There is conflicting evidence regarding the treatment regimen required due to his diabetes and associated complications.,There are no VA treatment records of the Veteran's hearing loss since January 25, 2017. A new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus requires a new VA examination as there is conflicting evidence regarding the treatment regimen required due to his diabetes and associated complications.,A private treatment record shows that the Veteran has an eye disability related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. A VA examination is needed to determine if it is related to service or caused by his diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD requires a new VA examination as there is conflicting evidence regarding the severity of his condition since his last examination in March 2019.,A private treatment record shows that the Veteran has an eye disability related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. A VA examination is needed to determine if it is related to service or caused by his diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims and service connection claims on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Hearing Loss, Diabetes Mellitus, Blurred Eyesight, Prostate Discomfort
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2023
- Citation
- 23017369
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 23017369.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.
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