The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of December 2, 2003 for the award of service connection for heart disability is granted. The issues of increased rating and TDIU are remanded due to outstanding medical records.
The deciding factor: The effective date was determined based on the receipt of a VA Form 21-526 in December 2003, which specifically mentioned heart disease as part of his pension claim. As he is a Nehmer class member for heart disability due to Agent Orange exposure, an earlier effective date can be granted.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction and stent placement (heart disability)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 16, 2026
- Citation
- A26023448
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 A26023448.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Dismissed
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- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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