Citation Nr: 19190841 Decision Date: 12/03/19 Archive Date: 12/03/19 DOCKET NO. 16-56 879 DATE: December 3, 2019 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss is remanded. Entitlement to increased ratings for tinea versicolor with neurodermatitis, currently rated as 10 percent disabling prior to October 15, 2016, and as 60 percent disabling from that date, is remanded. Entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a history of alcohol dependence, in remission, is remanded. Entitlement to an effective date prior to February 7, 2016, for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from September 1965 to September 1968. In August 2019, the Veteran testified at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge. A transcript of the hearing is associated with the record. 1. Entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss is remanded. Audiological testing conducted as part of an October 2016 VA hearing loss and tinnitus examination did not reveal a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes, as defined in 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. However, at the August 2019 Board hearing, the Veteran testified that his hearing has worsened since that examination. The Board finds that the issue should be remanded so that the Veteran may be provided another VA audiological examination to determine whether he now has a current right ear hearing loss disability. 2. Entitlement to increased ratings for tinea versicolor with neurodermatitis is remanded. The Veteran’s VA treatment records indicate that he had a dermatology consultation at a private facility on or around March 1, 2016, and that the full report for that consultation is available in Vista Imaging. The evidence scanned into Vista Imaging has not been associated with the record. The issue must be remanded so that the full report for the private dermatology consultation may be associated with the record. 3. Entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with a history of alcohol dependence, in remission, and entitlement to an effective date prior to February 7, 2016, for the grant of a TDIU are remanded. The Veteran submitted a timely notice of disagreement with a November 2017 rating decision, which denied an increased rating for the service-connected PTSD and granted entitlement to a TDIU from February 7, 2016. However, the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) has not yet acknowledged the notice of disagreement and a statement of the case has not yet been issued. A remand is required for the AOJ to issue a statement of the case. 38 C.F.R. § 20.200; Manlincon v. West, 12 Vet. App. 238, 240-41 (1999). The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Send the Veteran and his representative a statement of the case that addresses the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with a history of alcohol dependence, in remission, and entitlement to an effective date prior to February 7, 2016, for the grant of a TDIU. If the Veteran perfects an appeal by submitting a timely VA Form 9, the issues should be returned to the Board for further appellate consideration. 2. Associate with the record the full report for the private dermatology consultation performed on or around March 1, 2016, which is available in Vista Imaging. 3. Schedule the Veteran for a VA audiological examination to determine whether he has a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes. MICHAEL MARTIN Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board T. J. Anthony, Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential, and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.