Citation Nr: 21040482
Decision Date: 07/03/21	Archive Date: 07/03/21

DOCKET NO. 17-04 704A
DATE: July 3, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to a compensable rating for asthma is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran had active service from August 2006 to November 2009.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from an October 2016 rating decision issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).

Entitlement to a compensable rating for asthma is remanded.

The Veteran contends that he is entitled to a compensable rating for his asthma because he suffers from intermittent asthma attacks when exposed to certain triggers. See November 2016 Notice of Disagreement (NOD).  He contends that his asthma symptoms are more frequent (resulting in asthma attacks), and he must pay for costly albuterol inhalers.  Id.  

The Veteran was last afforded a VA examination in May 2016 where the examiner noted that the Veteran had not experienced an asthma attack in the past 12 months and did not require the use of inhaled medications.  

As there is evidence of worsening since the last VA examination, the Board finds that a remand is necessary to obtain a new VA examination to determine the Veteran's current level of severity.  See Weggenmann v. Brown, 5 Vet. App. 281 (1993); see also Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400 (1997) (a Veteran is entitled to a new examination where there is evidence that the condition may have worsened since the last examination).

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's service-connected asthma. 

The examiner should address the Veteran's lay statements which indicate that he uses an albuterol inhaler intermittently and has had more frequent symptoms, including asthma attacks.  See November 2016 NOD.

 

 

Michael A. Pappas

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	Baskerville, LaRita

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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.