Citation Nr: 21002803 Decision Date: 01/15/21 Archive Date: 01/15/21 DOCKET NO. 16-34 775 DATE: January 15, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a skin disability is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served active duty with the United States Air Force from September 1964 to September 1968. The matter was previously before the Board in January 2020, where the Board remanded the increased rating claim for PTSD for issuance of a statement of the case (SOC). The Board also remanded the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and skin condition for further development including scheduling the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations. The matter has returned to the Board for an appellate review. The Board notes that during the pendency of this appeal an October 2020 rating decision granted entitlement to service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability with an evaluation of 0 percent effective January 12, 2012. This constitute a full grant of the benefit sought. Therefore, the bilateral hearing loss issue is no longer on appeal. In response to the Board's remand, the RO issued an SOC in relationship to the Veteran's PTSD claim. A review of the record reveals that the Veteran has not filed a substantive appeal. Thus, the PTSD issue is not before the Board. Entitlement to service connection for a skin disability is remanded. The Veteran’s skin disability claim was previously remanded to afford the Veteran a VA examination. The evidence shows that examinations for Hearing Loss and Skin Conditions were scheduled in February 2020. However, the Veteran failed to report and has not provided any information showing good cause. There is notice of an examination letter regarding an Audiology examination, which the Veteran attended. Nevertheless, the record shows no notice letter for a skin disability examination, which is required to be prepared and sent to the Veteran. Additionally, the record shows no report of telephone contact with the Veteran informing him of a pending skin conditions examination. Therefore, to ensure due process of law, the Board finds that a copy of the notice of a skin conditions examination should be associated with the claims file or, alternatively, to provide the Veteran an opportunity, with the required notification to attend a skin conditions examination. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Attempt to obtain and associate with the claims folder outstanding medical records. 2. Obtain and associate with the claims file a copy of the notice of the skin examination letter sent to the Veteran. All records/responses received must be associated with the electronic claims file. 3. If a copy of the skin conditions examination notice letter sent to the Veteran cannot be obtained, then the AOJ should schedule another examination for the Veteran with an appropriate clinician. The examiner must opine whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran’s skin condition is related to an in-service event or disease. The examiner must determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran’s skin disorder. If possible, the examination should be scheduled during a flare-up of the Veteran's skin condition. The examining facility should be fully informed of the unusual requirements in this case and communicate with the Veteran as necessary to maximize the likelihood of performing the examination during a flare-up of the claimed condition. The examiner should review the Veteran's claims file in conjunction with the examination. Any indicated studies or diagnostic tests should be performed, and all clinical findings must be reported in detail and correlated to a specific diagnosis. The examiner should describe in detail all symptomatology associated with the Veteran’s skin disability. In rendering the opinion, the examiner should consider the Veteran's report of in-service skin complaints, self-treatment since his return from Vietnam and the continuity of his symptoms since service. 4. Thereafter, readjudicate the issue on appeal. If the determination remains unfavorable to the Veteran, he and his representative should be furnished a supplemental statement of the case which addresses all evidence associated with the claims file since the last statement of   the case. The Veteran and his representative should be afforded the applicable time period to respond. DAVID L. WIGHT Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board N. M. Rogers, Associate 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.