BVA9505967 
DOCKET NO.  93-06 968     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in San Francisco,
California

THE ISSUE

Whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a
claim of entitlement to service connection for cardiovascular
disability.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: The American Legion

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Nancy S. Kettelle, Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty from December 1944 to July 1946
and from February 1951 to April 1952.

This matter came to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on
appeal from an April 1992 rating decision of the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in San Francisco,
California.  The RO found that no new and material evidence had
been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for
heart disease, denied by the Board in May 1991.  In March 1993
the veteran testified at the RO before the Board member signing
below.

REMAND

The veteran is seeking service connection for cardiovascular
disability and contends that a heart disability which pre-existed
service was aggravated during his second period of service.  In
conjunction with his attempt to reopen his claim, the veteran has
stated that he has received treatment for his heart disability at
Kaiser Permanente Medical Group since 1964.  He indicated that he
believed complete records from this source had been made part of
his claims file.  The only such records currently in the
veteran's claims file are outpatient records dated in 1975.
Complete records from 1964 could be pertinent to the veteran's
claim and should be obtained.  See Ivey v. Derwinski, 2 Vet.App.
320 (1992).

Accordingly, the case is REMANDED to the RO for the following
actions:

1.  The RO should contact the veteran and
request that he identify the names,
addresses and approximate dates of
treatment for all health care providers
from whom he has received evaluation or
treatment for his claimed cardiovascular
disability at any time since service.
With any necessary authorization from the
veteran, the RO should attempt to obtain
and associate with the claims file copies
of identified medical records that have
not been secured previously, to include
copies of complete records from Kaiser
Permanente Medical Group dated from 1964
to the present.

2.  The RO should also provide the veteran
the opportunity to submit any additional
evidence or argument he believes will
support his claim.

3.  Thereafter, in light of the evidence
obtained pursuant to the requested
development, the RO should readjudicate
the issue of whether new and material
evidence has been submitted to reopen a
claim of entitlement to service connection
for cardiovascular disability.

If the benefit sought on appeal is not granted to the veteran's
satisfaction, the RO should issue a Supplemental Statement of the
Case, and the veteran and his representative should be provided
an opportunity to respond.  The case should then be returned to
the Board for further appellate consideration, if otherwise in
order.  By this REMAND, the Board intimates no opinion as to the
final outcome warranted.  No action is required of the veteran
until he is otherwise notified by the RO.

          J. J. SCHULE
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
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 remand 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) (1994).