Citation Nr: 21064409 Decision Date: 10/20/21 Archive Date: 10/20/21 DOCKET NO. 14-08 130 DATE: October 20, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected hypertension is remanded. Entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from September 1992 to September 1996. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal of a July 2012 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). In a September 2018 decision, the Board denied the Veteran's claim for entitlement to increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, right ear hearing loss, hypertension, eczematous dermatitis, and entitlement to a TDIU. The Veteran appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). An August 2021 CAVC Memorandum Decision, in pertinent part, set aside the Board's denial of an increased disability rating for hypertension and entitlement to a TDIU and remanded these matters to the Board for further consideration consistent with the Memorandum Decision. In June 2018 the Veteran testified during a video conference hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge. A transcript of the hearing is associated with the claims file. 1. Hypertension The Board finds that further development is necessary before a decision on the merits may be made regarding the issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension. The Veteran was last provided a VA examination relating to his hypertension in April 2015, over six years ago. During his June 2018 Board hearing the Veteran stated that his hypertension had increased in severity and was causing headaches and difficulty concentrating. In light of the Veteran's assertions, a new VA examination is required so that the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected disability may be determined. See 38 U.S.C. § 5103A; 38 C.F.R. § 3.159; see also Green v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 121, 124 (1991) (VA has a duty to provide the veteran with a thorough and contemporaneous medical examination); Weggenmann v. Brown, 5 Vet. App. 281 (1993) (VA has a duty to provide an examination when there is evidence that the disability has worsened since the previous examination). 2. TDIU The Veteran's TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim remanded by the Board in the decision herein. Thus, adjudication of the TDIU claim must be deferred pending adjudication of the Veteran's increased rating claim. See Harris v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 180, 183 (1991). The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected hypertension. The examiner should report all manifestations and functional impairment related to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension, to include the ability to maintain substantially gainful employment. R. FEINBERG Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board A. St. Laurent, 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.