The Board remands the claims for further development due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: A retrospective medical opinion is needed to determine the appropriate disability evaluation for the period on appeal, as the previous VA examinations did not assess the severity of the Veteran's heart disability.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25033193
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) effective June 1, 2021, and increased ratings for mid-sternum scar, left lower extremity (LLE) scar, and migraines to 10%, 20%, and 50% respectively, all effective October 26, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for the AOJ to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing on a supplemental claim in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.103(b)(1) and (d)(1).
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