Citation Nr: 18145623
Decision Date: 10/29/18	Archive Date: 10/29/18

DOCKET NO. 15-24 036
DATE:	October 29, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee condition (claimed as knee problems) is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for schizophrenia (claimed as an acquired mental disorder) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran had active service in the Army from July 2004 to September 2004. 
This case comes before the Board of Veteran’s Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 2014 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).
The Veteran was scheduled for a Board hearing in October 2018 but failed to report. To date, the Veteran has not requested that his hearing be rescheduled. Therefore, the Board finds the Veteran’s request for a hearing to be withdrawn. 38 C.F.R. § 20.702 (d) (2017).


1. Bilateral Knee 
The Veteran asserts that his bilateral knee problems is related to his military service. He Has offered no basis for this assertion, however.  Private medical records from 2007 refer to records from the Orlando Regional Medical Center which indicated that the Veteran had a history of knee surgeries. These records are not associated with the claims file and may be beneficial to the Veteran.  They must be obtained on remand.
2. Acquired Mental Disorder
An August 2010 M-S Health services document indicated that the Veteran received Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits based on his mental health disabilities. The Board finds that a remand is necessary for the acquisition of SSA disability records. 
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
1. Contact the Veteran and request properly executed, separate VA form 21-4142’s, Authorization and Consent to Release Information to the Department of Veterans Affairs, for any private care providers who have treated him for any claimed conditions.  A release for the Orlando Regional Medical Center should be specifically requested.
Upon receipt of such, VA must take appropriate action to contact the identified providers and request complete treatment records.  The Veteran should be informed that in the alternative he may obtain and submit the records himself.
2. Contact SSA and request a copy of the Veteran’s SSA disability award records and associate them with the claims file.
3. Upon completion of the above, and any additional development deemed appropriate, readjudicate the remanded issue.  If the benefits sought remain denied, the Veteran and his representative should be provided with a supplemental statement of the case.  The case should then be returned to the Board for appellate review if otherwise in order.  

 
WILLIAM H. DONNELLY
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	S. Baxter, Associate Counsel