The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for generalized anxiety disorder with unspecified depressive disorder was denied. The appeal is dismissed as the Veteran submitted his disagreement more than one year after the February 2024 decision.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for hypothyroidism is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating of 70 percent or above under Diagnostic Code 9400, as his symptoms did not demonstrate deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.,The VA examiner's report was based solely on records review and lacked an interview with the Veteran. The severity of the hypothyroidism condition cannot be accurately evaluated without a physical examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder with unspecified depressive disorder, Hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26030554
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 A26030554.
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 Board has denied service connection for high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), aortic valve regurgitation, and hypothyroidism as the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection due to lack of in-service diagnosis or chronic symptoms.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, Hypothyroidism, and Hypertension. The decision is based on direct evidence of these conditions during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for right shin splints due to inadequate examination and failure to address increased symptomatology during flare-ups. The Veteran's service connection for hypothyroidism was granted in full, leaving only her right shin splint issue on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, hypertension, DMII, hypothyroidism, and skin condition are related to his active-duty service. However, further development is needed for the claims of erectile dysfunction and skin condition due to potential exposure to toxins during service.
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