Citation Nr: 21002231 Decision Date: 01/13/21 Archive Date: 01/13/21 DOCKET NO. 16-47 368 DATE: January 13, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for psoriatic arthritis is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for hypertension is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service in the United States Marines Corps from February 1973 to December 1979. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a July 2015 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO): this case is in the Board’s legacy appeals system. A videoconference Board hearing was held in December 2019 before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge. Unfortunately, the hearing transcript was inaudible. The Veteran was advised later in December 2019 that the hearing transcript was inaudible and provided the opportunity to request another Board hearing. He subsequently declined. Thus, his Board hearing request is deemed satisfied. See 38 C.F.R. § 20.704. 1. Entitlement to service connection for psoriatic arthritis is remanded. The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for psoriatic arthritis because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s psoriatic arthritis was either proximately due to, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by, his service connected sialolithiasis, status post removal. The Veteran explicitly raised this theory in his claim filed in November 2014. Entitlement to service connection for hypertension is remanded. The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for hypertension because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s hypertension was either proximately due to, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by, his service connected sialolithiasis, status post removal. The Veteran explicitly raised this theory in his claim filed in November 2014. Furthermore, the VA opinion of August 2020 was inadequate for rating purposes because it was based on an inaccurate factual premise. See Reonal v. Brown, 5 Vet. App. 458 (1993). Specifically, in different parts of the August 20202 examination and opinion the examiner stated that the Veteran’s hypertension did not manifest until either 2000 or 2015. An emergency room record from February 1992 shows a diagnosis of hypertension and refers to a history of high blood pressure. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran’s psoriatic arthritis is at least as likely as not proximately due to service-connected sialolithiasis, status post removal, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected sialolithiasis, status post removal. 2. Obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran’s hypertension is at least as likely as not related to his active service or any service-connected disability. The examiner must review the claims file. In determining the date of onset of the Veteran’s hypertension, the examiner should consider February 1992 records from Palmyra Medical Centers which mentioned a history of high blood pressures and included hypertension in the Veteran’s medical history. If a diagnosis cannot be provided but the Veteran’s condition manifests in symptoms that cause functional impairment, then the examiner should consider them a “disability” for the purpose of providing the requested opinion(s) below. The examiner is asked to provide a response to the following: Is the Veteran’s hypertension at least as likely as not related to service? Provide a rationale to support the opinion(s). Is the Veteran’s hypertension at least as likely as not proximately due to service-connected sialolithiasis, status post removal? Is the Veteran’s hypertension at least as likely as not aggravated, i.e., worsened beyond its natural progression, by service-connected sialolithiasis, status post removal? Is it at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s hypertension (1) began during active service, (2) manifested within one year after discharge from service, or (3) was noted during service with continuity of the same symptomatology since service? Is the Veteran’s hypertension at least as likely as not related to contaminants in the water during service at Camp Lejeune? The examiner is advised that a negative opinion cannot be based solely on the fact that the hypertension is not on the list of diseases that are presumptively associated with exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune. 3. After the above development, and any additionally indicated development, has been completed, readjudicate the issues on appeal. If any benefit sought is not granted to the Veteran’s satisfaction, send the Veteran and his representative a Supplemental Statement of the Case and provide an opportunity to respond. If necessary, return the case to the Board for further appellate review. L. M. BARNARD Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board M. Zimmerman 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.