The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than January 12, 2015 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected hypertensive heart disease has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as anxiety and depression, has been denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence prior to January 21, 2015 indicating the Veteran had a hearing loss disability related to his period of active service. The April 2015 VA examination was the first indication that he may have experienced such a disability.,The evidence does not show episodes of acute congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent, which are required for a rating in excess of 30 percent under the current criteria. The Veteran's symptoms do not meet these requirements based on his August 2014 VA examination.,The evidence does not show that the Veteran has a current acquired psychiatric disability and there is conflicting medical opinion regarding whether he had such a condition during service or at any time since then.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Hypertensive Heart Disease, Acquired Psychiatric Disability (Anxiety and Depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23048388
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 23048388.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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