The Board remands the claim for service connection of congestive heart failure to correct a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion obtained by the AOJ is inadequate as it lacks a sufficient reasoned rationale or medical explanation supporting the reached conclusion, and does not address whether any in-service symptoms represent the onset of later diagnosed CHF. Additionally, VA treatment records from June 2015 are missing and need to be associated with the claims file.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure (CHF)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25042615
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25042615.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues related to his heart condition, including coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. The claims are being reviewed again as there is insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disability, diagnosed as congestive heart failure (CHF), due to a duty to assist error and the need for a new medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for congestive heart failure to obtain additional medical records and further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure is rated at 100 percent disabling since October 13, 2020. The Veteran also has a combined rating of 90 percent for other service-connected disabilities, qualifying him for special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.