The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for skin hypopigmentation and joint swelling due to insufficient medical opinions provided in the May 2023 VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence or an adequate opinion regarding his service connection claims.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were inadequate, primarily due to their reliance on the absence of contemporaneous medical records and failure to address specific remand directives.
- Claimed conditions
- skin hypopigmentation, joint swelling
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2023
- Citation
- 23057063
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 23057063.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an enlarged prostate, hypertension, heart condition, foot swelling, skin hypopigmentation, and a lumbar spine condition. The Veteran's current conditions are being reviewed to determine if they are related to his time in service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for joint pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, skin rashes, and joint swelling. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headaches and bruxism/ TMJ disorder manifested during his military service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the veteran's claimed undiagnosed illnesses are not related to service and denied both claims for service connection.
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