Citation Nr: 21002941 Decision Date: 01/19/21 Archive Date: 01/19/21 DOCKET NO. 17-40 289 DATE: January 19, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for pancreatitis is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from February 1962 to June 1966. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from an August 2016 rating decision from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Veteran appeared for a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in May 2019. A transcript of the proceeding is of record. This claim was previously remanded by the Board in January 2020 for further development, to include providing VA examinations and updating VA treatment records. Unfortunately, there has not been substantial compliance with the Board’s previous remand directives. Another remand is required. Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268, 271 (1998). Entitlement to service connection for pancreatitis is remanded. The Veteran was afforded a VA examination in November 2020. Unfortunately, this decision failed to provide an opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s pancreatitis is proximately due to service-connected diabetes mellitus and failed to provide a rationale for its conclusion that pancreatitis was not aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus, as required by the prior remand. Accordingly, another opinion is required. Stegall, 11 Vet. App. at 271. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain updated VA treatment records. 2. Obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding the Veteran’s pancreatitis. The claims file should be made available to and reviewed by the examiner and all necessary tests should be performed. All findings should be reported in detail. The examiner is asked to answer the following questions: (a.) Is pancreatitis at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) related to service? (b.) Is pancreatitis at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) proximately due to service-connected diabetes mellitus? (c.) Is pancreatitis at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) aggravated, i.e., worsened beyond its natural progression, by service-connected diabetes mellitus? The examiner must provide a complete explanation for all opinions. If the examiner is unable to render the requested opinions without resorting to speculation, the examiner must state whether there is inadequate factual information, whether the question falls beyond the knowledge of the examiner, whether the question falls beyond the scope of the medical community, or another reason. The need for additional physical examination of the Veteran is left to the discretion of the examiner. Nathaniel J. Doan Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board K.L. Blevins, 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.