BVA9500037 
DOCKET NO.  93-09 838     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Petersburg,
Florida

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to a permanent and total disability rating for
pension purposes.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: The American Legion

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Joseph M. Horrigan, Counsel

REMAND

The veteran had active duty from February 1963 to February 1967.
To ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has met
its duty to assist the claimant in developing the facts pertinent
to the claim and to ensure full compliance with due process
requirements, the case is REMANDED to the regional office (RO)
for the following development:

1.  The RO should obtain the names and
addresses of all medical care providers who
treated the veteran for hypertension and
disorders of the cervical and lumbar spines
from 1987 to the present.  After securing
the necessary release, the RO should obtain
all records that are not currently in the
claims folder.  These should include
records from the Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in
Gainesville, Florida; the North Florida
Regional Medical Center at PO Box 147006 in
Gainesville, Florida; Joseph C. Cauthen,
M.D., at 6510 N.W. Blvd., in Gainesville,
Florida; and Phillip Parr, M.D., at 6608
N.W. 9th Blvd in Gainesville, Florida.

2.  The RO should obtain from the Social
Security Administration the medical records
pertinent to the appellant's claim for
Social Security Administration (SSA)
disability benefits.

3.  The veteran should be afforded a
complete VA physical examination to
determine the severity of all physical
disabilities found.  All necessary special
studies should be performed and all
pertinent clinical findings reported in
detail.  The claims folder should be made
available to the examiner for review before
the examination.
4.  The RO should review the favorable
Social Security determination that was
apparently associated with the file after
the case was received at the Board.

When the above development has been completed, the RO should
readjudicate the veteran's claim.  If the benefits sought on
appeal remain denied, the veteran and his representative should
be furnished with a supplemental statement of the case and
afforded a reasonable opportunity to respond.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board, if in
order.  The Board intimates no opinion as to the ultimate outcome
of this case.  The appellant need take no action until otherwise
notified by the RO.

          H. N. SCHWARTZ
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This action has been taken in
accordance with the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1994,
Pub. L. No. 103-446, § 303, 108 Stat. 4645, ___ (1994), and is in
the nature of a preliminary order and does not constitute a
decision of the Board on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R.
§ 20.1100(b) (1993).