Citation Nr: 18129683
Decision Date: 08/27/18	Archive Date: 08/27/18

DOCKET NO. 14-43 099
DATE:	August 27, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to a higher initial rating for ischemic heart disease, rated as 10 percent disabling from January 7, 2013, to April 19, 2013, 10 percent disabling from June 1, 2013, to June 12, 2014, and 60 percent disabling thereafter) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The appellant is a Veteran who served on active duty from February 1963 to August 1963 and September 1965 to March 1990.  This matter is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2013 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) that granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and assigned a 10 percent rating, effective January 7, 2013.  An interim, November 2014 rating decision assigned a temporary total (100 percent) rating (pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 4.30) for the ischemic heart disease from April 19, 2013, to June 1, 2013, and a 60 percent rating from June 12, 2014.  Accordingly, the matter of the rating for the ischemic heart disability from April 19, 2013 to June 1, 2013, is not before the Board.
1. Entitlement to increases in the initial ratings assigned for ischemic heart disease (10 percent from January 7, 2013, to April 19, 2013, and from June 1, 2013, to June 12, 2014, and 60 percent from that date) is remanded.
The Board regrets the delay but finds that development of the record is needed for a proper adjudication of the matter of entitlement to increases in the staged ratings assigned for the ischemic heart disease.
VA treatment records show there are potentially relevant outstanding private treatment records.  A September 2013 VA treatment record notes the Veteran reported he had an appointment scheduled with his non-VA cardiologist the following month.  Records of such treatment are not associated with the record; the most recent private treatment records in the record date from April 2013.  Accordingly, a remand is required to allow VA to obtain authorization and request these records.  On remand, any outstanding VA treatment records should also be obtained and associated with the record.
In addition, the Veteran was last provided a VA examination to assess the current severity of the ischemic heart disease in June 2014.  The Veteran should be provided an opportunity to report for a VA examination to ascertain the current severity and manifestations of the ischemic heart disease on remand.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Ask the Veteran to complete a VA Form 21-4142 for any private treatment providers who have treated him for ischemic heart disease.  Make two requests for the authorized records, unless it is clear after the first request that a second request would be futile.
2. Obtain the Veteran’s VA treatment records for the periods from June 2014 to February 2016 and from February 2016 to the present.
3. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the current severity of his service-connected ischemic heart disease.  The examiner should provide a full description of the disability and report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating the Veteran’s disability under the rating criteria.  To the extent possible, the examiner should identify any symptoms and functional impairments due to ischemic heart disease alone and discuss the effect of the Veteran’s disability on any occupational functioning and activities of daily living.  
 
KRISTY L. ZADORA
Acting Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	William Skowronski, Associate Counsel