Citation Nr: 21065659
Decision Date: 10/27/21	Archive Date: 10/27/21

DOCKET NO. 13-16 881
DATE: October 27, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to service connection for hypertension, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from May 1972 to February 1984, with additional service in the Reserves.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from an April 2015 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Jackson, Mississippi.

This matter was denied by the Board in a March 2019 decision, after which it was appealed to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court). Pursuant to a December 2019 order granting the parties' Joint Motion for Remand, the Court remanded the matter for the Board to address a February 2012 note from the Veteran's VA rheumatologist and then readjudicate the claim. It was again before the Board in May 2020 and April 2021 and was remanded to obtain VA medical opinions clarifying when the Veteran was first diagnosed with hypertension as well as whether his hypertension was caused or aggravated by medication prescribed to treat his service-connected disabilities; VA medical opinions were subsequently obtained in September 2020 and August 2021.

The development required by the Board's previous remands has been completed. Unfortunately, the Board deems additional remand is again necessary.

Entitlement to service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.

Remand of the Veteran's claim is necessary to obtain outstanding treatment records. VA treatment records show that potentially relevant non-VA treatment records were scanned into the Veteran's VA medical file but are not in the claims file. See, e.g. November 2011 VA treatment record (noting an outside medical record from Rush Medical Group from October 2010 had been scanned into the system); March 2013 and February 2018 VA treatment records (noting outside medical records from South Central Regional Medical Center had been scanned into the system); May 2018 VA treatment record (noting documentation regarding a non-VA medical appointment with Sandersville Family Clinic had been scanned into VistA Imaging). Accordingly, remand is appropriate to obtain these records.

Additionally, while this matter is on remand, any additional outstanding private and VA treatment records should be obtained and associated with the claims file, including any treatment records from June 2021 to the present.

The matter is REMANDED for the following action:

1. After securing any necessary authorization, obtain any private treatment records as the Veteran may identify relevant to the claim.

2. Obtain any additional VA treatment records, to include VA treatment records from June 2021 to the present.  Associate with the claims file all potentially relevant documents scanned into VistA Imaging or CPRS but not associated with the Veteran's claims file, including the October 2010 Rush Medical Group treatment records, March 2013 and February 2018 South Central Regional Medical Center treatment records, and May 2018 Sandersville Family Clinic treatment records.

3. After completion of the above development, and of any other development deemed necessary, readjudicate the claim. 

 

SHEREEN M. MARCUS

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	David A. F. Litvak

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.