The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disability, specifically Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the condition had its onset in service or is related to service-connected migraines and lumbar spine disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found the September 2019 VA examination inadequate for rating purposes due to lack of consideration of lay statements from the Veteran and his wife, and a fellow service-member. The examiner did not address a secondary theory of entitlement (service connection based on aggravation).
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2023
- Citation
- A23032429
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 A23032429.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is related to his active-duty service and has granted service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Major Depressive Disorder is rated at 50 percent, effective December 14, 2021. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and ADHD, finding that these conditions had onset during his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric disabilities, arrhythmia, cardiac amyloidosis, and CAD/arteriosclerotic heart disease are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
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