Citation Nr: 18151087
Decision Date: 11/19/18	Archive Date: 11/16/18

DOCKET NO. 16-05 650A
DATE:	November 19, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from February 1966 to May 1968.
These matters come to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from an October 2013 rating decision from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Petersburg, Florida. 
In his January 2016 VA form 9, the Veteran requested a hearing before the Board.  However, in September 2017, the Veteran withdrew his request for a hearing before the Board and asked for a decision to be rendered based on the evidence of record. 
Entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD in excess of 50 percent is remanded. 
The Veteran seeks an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected PTSD.  
Initially, the Board notes that the January 2016 Statement of the Case (SOC) refers to Tampa VA Healthcare System records dated from October 1996 to January 2016.  However, only records dated through August 2013 from the Tampa VA Health System have been associated with the claims file.  Therefore, a remand is required to obtain all outstanding VA medical records and associate them with the claims file.  
Further, the Veteran contends that his symptoms are more severe than contemplated by his currently assigned disability rating. The Board notes that the Veteran last underwent a VA examination for PTSD in March 2013.  As the evidence of record indicates that the Veteran’s symptoms have increased in severity since he was last evaluated on examination, the Board finds that a remand is warranted to afford the Veteran a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his PTSD.  See Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400, 403 (1997); see also Green v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 121, 124 (1991) (VA has a duty to provide the Veteran with a thorough and contemporaneous medical examination); Caffrey v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 377, 381 (1994) (an examination too remote for rating purposes cannot be considered “contemporaneous”).  
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Obtain and associate with the claims file all outstanding, pertinent VA medical records dated from August 2013 to the present. 
2. Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination with a medical professional of appropriate expertise to assess the current nature and severity of his service-connected PTSD.  The VA examiner must review the claims file and should note that review in the report.  A complete history of symptoms should be elicited from the Veteran.    
After examining the Veteran and conducting any studies and/or tests deemed necessary, the VA examiner should fully describe all symptomatology and functional deficits associated with the Veteran’s service-connected PTSD and should opine as to their severity.  The Veteran’s lay statements regarding his symptomology must be recorded and taken into consideration.  The VA examiner should also comment on the Veteran’s current level of social and occupational impairment due to his service-connected PTSD.
3. After completing the above, re-adjudicate the claim.  If the benefit sought on appeal remains denied, issue a supplemental statement of the case.

 
LESLEY A. REIN
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	C. Mahaffey, Associate Counsel