Citation Nr: 22017675 Decision Date: 03/25/22 Archive Date: 03/25/22 DOCKET NO. 18-44 724 DATE: March 25, 2022 REMANDED Entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the bilateral feet is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from June 1980 to December 1982. This matter is on appeal of a March 2018 rating decision. In February 2021, a hearing was held before the undersigned. A transcript of the hearing is of record. More information is needed to allow the Board to make a fully-informed decision regarding the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the bilateral feet. The Veteran was most recently afforded a VA examination to determine the severity of his tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the bilateral feet in February 2018. During his February 2021 Board hearing, the Veteran testified that his disability had worsened since then. A veteran is entitled to a new VA examination where there is evidence that the condition has worsened since the last examination. Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400 (1997). Given the Veteran's testimony that his disability has worsened since the most recent examination of record, remand for a new examination is warranted. The Veteran also testified that his symptoms "came and went" and the Board further finds that attempts should be made to coordinate with him to schedule the examination during a flare up of the condition. Cf. Ardison v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 405, 407-08 (1994) (concluding that examination during a remission phase of a skin condition was not adequate). Likewise, the examiner should consider all applicable rating criteria, as during the pendency of the instant appeal, VA revised the criteria for rating disabilities of the skin, effective August 13, 2018. See 83 Fed. Reg. 32,592-601 (Jul. 13, 2018). The Veteran also testified during his February 2021 Board hearing that he received private treatment for his service-connected tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the bilateral feet. He stated that he received treatment for the condition from FirstHealth. At the hearing, the Veteran was granted a 30-day abeyance period for the submission of the identified private treatment records to support his claim. Although the Veteran has not yet submitted the identified treatment records, as the issue is being remanded for another VA examination, he should be provided an opportunity to provide authorization to VA to obtain any relevant private treatment records. 38 U.S.C. § 5103A(b)(1). The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Request that the Veteran submit a fully completed and signed VA Form 21-4142, Authorization and Consent to Release Information to VA, for each health care provider from whom he would like VA to obtain records, to include from FirstHealth. Based on the Veteran's response, attempt to procure copies of all records which have not been obtained from the identified treatment sources. If any of the records requested are unavailable, clearly document the claims file to that effect and notify the Veteran of any inability to obtain these records, in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(e). 2. Obtain any updated VA treatment records from June 2018 to the present. 3. After completing the above requested development, schedule the Veteran for an appropriate VA examination to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the bilateral feet. Given the intermittent nature of this condition, efforts should be made to coordinate the scheduling of the examination with the Veteran so that it is performed at a time when the skin condition is active unless there is sufficient information (e.g., from treatment records) to determine that this is not required. The entire claims file, including a copy of this remand, should be made available to the examiner in conjunction with this request. All testing deemed necessary to evaluate the skin disability must be conducted and the results reported in detail. The examiner should consider all applicable rating criteria for the skin during the appeal period prior to and since August 13, 2018. M. SORISIO Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board L. J. Wells-Green 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.