BVA9500099 
DOCKET NO.  93-05 695     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office and Insurance
Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for a heart disorder.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Heather J. Harner

INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty from May 1943 to October 1945.
We note that the veteran submitted a claim for an increased
rating for his service-connected anxiety disorder in May 1991.
The regional office (RO) has not taken any action on this claim.
This matter is thus referred to the RO for appropriate rating
action.

REMAND

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 RO for the following
development:

1.  The RO should obtain the names and
addresses of all medical care providers who
treated the veteran for heart disease,
including the records from the Naval
Hospital in Ashbury Park, New Jersey; the
Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton; and from
Dr. Fletcher in New Jersey, identified by
the veteran in his October 1991 claim for
service connection.  If further details are
necessary, the veteran should be
interviewed.  After securing the necessary
releases, the RO should obtain these
records.

2.  The RO should obtain all records of VA
medical treatment not contained in the
veteran's claims file for inclusion in the
file, including records of the veteran's
prescribed medications.

3.  The veteran should be afforded a VA
cardiologic examination to determine the
etiology of his heart disease and, more
specifically, whether there is a causal
relationship between his service-connected
anxiety disorder and his heart disease.
The veteran's claims folder, including
records obtained pursuant to the above
requests, should be made available to the
examiner for review before the examination.
The examining physician should specifically
comment on the possibility of a causal
relationship, if any, between the anxiety
disorder and heart disease.  Specific
comment regarding the medical certificate
by Dr. Frank P. Marchese, dated in June
1977, stating that the veteran's anxiety
disorder caused chest pain and providing a
diagnosis of hypertension, would be
especially helpful.  The examiner should
provide the complete rationale for the
opinion given.

4.  After the development requested above
is completed, the RO should again review
the record.  If the benefit sought on
appeal remains denied, the veteran and his
representative should be furnished a
supplemental statement of the case and
given the opportunity to respond.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board, if in
order.  The purpose of this remand is to assist the veteran in
the development of his claim.  The Board intimates no opinion as
to the ultimate outcome of this case.  The appellant need take no
action unless otherwise notified.

          GEORGE R. SENYK
          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) (1993).