The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic bronchitis is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The AOJ needs to provide an explanation for not conducting a DLCO test and may need to consider additional evidence or examination.
The deciding factor: There was a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error regarding the absence of a DLCO test, which requires clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2026
- Citation
- A26015085
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 A26015085.
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 Veteran's claim for separate ratings for chronic bronchitis and obstructive sleep apnea is denied as the disabilities are rated under different diagnostic codes and cannot be combined.
- Granted
The Veteran's asthma with chronic bronchitis is rated at a 30 percent rating, effective from the date of this decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for chronic bronchitis was denied as her condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 6600 or 6602.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and failure to consider the ameliorative effects of medication in evaluating the Veteran's service-connected chronic bronchitis.
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