The appeal for a survivor's pension was denied due to the appellant's countable income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for cause of death.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the appellant's income being above the MAPR, and the need for a more thorough review by an expert clinician regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatic adenocarcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, end stage renal disease, protein calorie malnutrition, hypocalcemia, hyponatremia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039710
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of November 30, 2016, but not earlier, for the award of service connection for cholangiocarcinoma.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his end stage renal disease and systolic heart failure were not related to his military service or any service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, cholangiocarcinoma, based on evidence supporting a direct relationship between the disease and the Veteran's in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of the cause of the Veteran's death to correct a duty to assist error, specifically regarding an inadequate medical opinion on the etiology of end stage renal disease.
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