The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder is denied due to lack of a diagnosed condition.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 29, 2017, for a 70 percent rating for PTSD is denied as there was no increase in severity within the one-year period before filing the claim.,The Veteran's claim for earlier effective date for SMC based on housebound status is denied due to lack of a qualifying disability and inability to work due to multiple service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD remains pending as his current VA medical records are needed for an accurate assessment.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for left hip limitation of flexion is remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disorder is remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a diagnosed bipolar disorder in the record, and the Veteran is not competent to provide such a diagnosis.,No increase in PTSD severity occurred within one year before filing the claim for an earlier effective date.,The Veteran does not have a qualifying disability for SMC based on housebound status due to multiple service-connected disabilities preventing him from working.,Current VA medical records are needed to assess the current severity of PTSD and determine if a higher rating is warranted.,Further evaluation is necessary to determine the extent of left hip limitation of flexion and whether it warrants a compensable rating.,A right hip disorder may be related to service-connected left hip disabilities, but further examination and opinion are needed.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), left hip trochanteric pain syndrome, left hip limitation of flexion, right hip disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2023
- Citation
- 23066135
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 23066135.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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