The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for alopecia areata is denied.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, a respiratory disorder, bronchitis, and COPD is remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The severity of the Veteran's alopecia does not more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher rating absent loss of body hair or scarring alopecia.,Incomplete treatment records from the Topeka, Kansas VA facility are needed to determine service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, respiratory disorder, bronchitis, and COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- alopecia areata, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, respiratory disorder, bronchitis, COPD
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2023
- Citation
- A23032557
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 A23032557.
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and has ordered the case back to the AOJ for proper notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for sinusitis is being remanded due to a failure by the AOJ to provide proper notice of his right to a hearing.
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