Asthma decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD, asthma, emphysema, and pulmonary fibrosis are related to his in-service exposure to asbestos, fumes from Persian Gulf fires, and plutonium nitrate. The VA expert medical opinion supports this finding.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her asthma, pes planus, and sleep apnea claims. The VA will seek to obtain all relevant medical records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis as his combined rating is 40 percent, and he has not demonstrated that he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Veteran's wife, R.M.B., is not eligible for CHAMPVA benefits because the Veteran has a combined service-connected disability rating of 20 percent and a combined percentage disability evaluation of 100 percent due to his treatment at VA facilities. The eligibility requirement for CHAMPVA benefits does not include quasi-service-connection under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's asthma is being remanded for additional development. Her joint pain and swelling are also being remanded, as the nature of her disability needs to be determined.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss and respiratory disorder (asthma). The claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and deficiencies in the examination reports.

The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on his current lung function test results.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of herbicide exposure in Korea and a supplemental VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's respiratory disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a respiratory disorders examination to determine if his current respiratory conditions are related to service. The PTSD rating will also be reconsidered.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, asthma, and allergic rhinitis based on new evidence provided since the last denial. The Veteran now meets the threshold requirement to have these claims considered further.

The Veteran's service connection claim for asthma is granted. The Board finds that the currently diagnosed asthma is related to in-service episodes of asthma and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for her diagnosed asthma. The Board has ordered a remand to obtain any relevant outstanding VA treatment records and readjudicate the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and therefore cannot be presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. As a result, the claims for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, colon cancer, asthma, sleep related alveolar hyperventilation, and hyperlipidemia are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and to schedule a hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include asthma, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's condition has not worsened to the extent that he has sustained a substantial loss of independence, and other changes in his circumstances have not caused a substantial loss of independence. The VR&E Service determined that no independent living needs had been identified.

The Board found that the Veteran's asthma preexisted service and was not aggravated by any period of active duty or inactive duty training. Therefore, it is not due to a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's asthma was found to have existed prior to his period of service and not aggravated by it. The Board denied the claims for left and right knee disabilities due to incomplete records, but noted that VA efforts were unsuccessful in obtaining additional pertinent medical records from private providers.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video-conference hearing with a Board member.