The Board remands the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound due to insufficient medical evidence regarding her need for regular aid and assistance.
The deciding factor: Insufficient medical evidence exists to determine whether the Veteran is entitled to housebound-in-fact or aid and attendance SMC, necessitating a remand for an appropriate VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, Urinary stress incontinence, History of menorrhagia status post hysterectomy, Migraine headaches, Degenerative arthritis of cervical spine, Bilateral shoulder osteoarthritis, Lumbar spine disorder, Tinnitus, Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, Left knee osteoarthritis, Bilateral hammertoe of the little toes, Allergic rhinitis, Chronic constipation, Hemorrhoids, Bilateral breast mammoplasties, Female sexual arousal disorder, Non-linear surgical scar residuals of breast mammoplasties, Linear surgical scar residuals of breast mammoplasties, Eczema of the scalp, Hysterectomy scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2024
- Citation
- 24001672
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 chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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