The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided in March and August 2023 are inadequate to address all of the issues raised by the Veteran's representative. The Board is therefore remanding the case for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions did not adequately address all of the issues raised, including causation and aggravation by service-connected conditions, obesity, and the role of PTSD in causing or aggravating sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD, Asthma, Bilateral plantar fasciitis, Tension headaches, Irritable bowel syndrome, Left or right upper extremity radiculopathy, Degenerative arthritis of the neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2023
- Citation
- 23061122
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 23061122.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a maximum disability rating of 100 percent effective December 12, 2022. The ratings for migraines and IBS with GERD were restored from noncompensable to their previous levels.
- Partly granted
The veteran was granted a 70 percent rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder, effective January 20, 2018, and the claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
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