The reduction in rating for other specified anxiety disorder from 30 to 10 percent, effective May 1, 2025 was improper and restoration of the prior 30 percent rating is granted.,The reduction of acne rating from 10 percent to zero percent was improper and restoration of the 10 percent rating is denied.,The reduction in rating for lumbosacral strain from 40 percent to 10 percent was improper and restoration of the 40 percent rating is granted.
The deciding factor: Procedural errors were found, specifically a failure to provide pretermination notice as required by 38 C.F.R. § 3.655(c).,The evidence did not show actual improvement in acne due to the Veteran's use of medications.,Improvement was found in lumbosacral strain based on the Veteran's reported use of medication, which should have been considered by the VA examiners.
- Claimed conditions
- Other specified anxiety disorder, Acne
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2026
- Citation
- A26029148
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 A26029148.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for acne, finding that his pre-existing condition clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service.
- Granted
The Veteran was found to be precluded from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to August 29, 2024 due to her service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective from the date of this decision.
- Granted
The Board has revised the August 2018 rating decision to grant service connection for other specified anxiety disorder due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error.
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