Citation Nr: 18142849
Decision Date: 10/17/18	Archive Date: 10/16/18

DOCKET NO. 15-23 023A
DATE:	October 17, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from December 1965 to November 1968.
This matter comes on appeal before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from a September 2013 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).
In Rice v. Shinseki, 22 Vet. App. 447 (2009), the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court) stated that a claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disability is part and parcel of an increased rating claim when such claim is raised by the record. In this case, the Veteran has not asserted that he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities, and the evidence of record indicates that the Veteran is currently employed. Therefore, the issue of entitlement to TDIU has not been raised and the issue is not before the Board.
Entitlement to an Increased Rating for PTSD is Remanded
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD for an additional VA examination. The Veteran was last afforded a VA examination in August 2013. The VA examiner noted a diagnosis of PTSD and stated that the Veteran’s symptoms of depression appear to be secondary to PTSD. Since the last VA examination, additional VA treatment records have been added to the electronic claims folder. The additional VA treatment records indicate various symptomatology not previously reported, to include suicidal thoughts (December 2012 VA treatment record), obsessive rituals (March 2013 VA treatment record), and significant deficiencies in most areas including work (March 2013 VA treatment record). 
Therefore, the Board finds that an additional VA examination should be afforded to assess the current nature, extent, severity and symptomatology of his disability. See Palczewski v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 174, 181 (2007); Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400, 403 (1997). 
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Obtain any outstanding VA and/or private treatment records. If such exist, associate such records with the Veteran’s electronic claims record.
2. Thereafter, the RO should schedule an appropriate VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran’s psychiatric disabilities. The claims folder and this remand must be made available to the examiner for review, and the examination report must reflect that such a review was undertaken. 
The examiner is directed to determine the current severity of the Veteran’s service-connected PTSD. 
The examiner is to describe the Veteran’s symptoms, and note the impact, if any, of the Veteran’s disorder on his social and industrial functioning. The examiner is to provide information concerning the functional impairment that results from the service-connected disability which may affect the Veteran’s ability to function and perform tasks, to include any functional impairment of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities with regard to his employment.
The examiner is directed to review and address the Veteran’s complete VA treatment records, to include:  December 2012 (suicidal thoughts), and March 2013 (obsessive rituals and deficiencies in most areas, including work). Any inconsistencies should be addressed.
3. After completing any further development deemed necessary, readjudicate the claims. If any benefit on appeal remains denied, issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) to the Veteran and his representative, and allow an appropriate time for response. Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board, if otherwise in order.
 
Michael Pappas
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	Department of Veterans Affairs