Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2019

The Veteran withdrew the issue of entitlement to reimbursement or payment for medical expenses related to non-VA medical care at VH, on May 14, 2013, before a decision was made. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death was not directly related to his service, but remanded for further development and opinion regarding the cause of death. The issue of entitlement to nonservice-connected death pension benefits is also being remanded.

The Veteran's chronic bronchitis is granted as a direct service connection, with no indication of exposure to Gulf War Syndrome or other presumptive conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis and COPD, finding that new evidence did not establish a causal relationship between his current condition and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic lung disorder, including bronchitis and asthma, secondary to herbicide exposure and solvent use, is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence since the last decision.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple conditions, including left shoulder disability, right knee and left knee disabilities, right ear hearing loss, bronchitis, irregular heart beat and dyspnea, frostbite of the left hand, diarrhea, and residuals of tick bites. The appeals are all denied.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not service-connected as it did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.,Diabetes mellitus was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; continuity of symptomatology is not established; and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's left knee disability, secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, was not addressed by the January 2013 VA examination. The issue remains remanded for further evaluation.,Bronchitis was diagnosed in January 2018 and is currently under review due to lack of a medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (depression) has not been addressed by the Board as there has been no attempt to verify the in-service stressors.

The Veteran's asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are being remanded for further action due to the need for a supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's claim for revision in the evaluation of asthmatic bronchitis and discontinuance of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed due to improper pleading.

The Veteran's bronchitis was rated at 60 percent disabling, and the RO reduced this rating to 30 percent effective December 1, 2007. The reduction was found to be improper due to lack of consideration of whether there was an improvement in the Veteran’s ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work. A separate evaluation for emphysema is prohibited as it is rated under Diagnostic Code 6603. The Veteran's TDIU claim has been denied.

The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee, sarcoidosis, lung damage/bronchitis, congestive heart failure, and cirrhosis of the liver. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and further evaluation is needed.

The Veteran's right knee disability is related to his service, and he has been granted service connection for this condition.,His Raynaud's phenomenon and vertigo are also related to his service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder (other than previously denied sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and tuberculosis) including COPD, asthma and chronic bronchitis due to lack of evidence showing an association between these conditions and active service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's sinusitis, bronchitis, and sleep apnea were granted service connection. The right shoulder disorder and chronic inner ear infection are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further evaluation regarding his entitlement to higher levels of SMC and a rating increase for his residual left knee injury. The Board found that he does not meet the legal criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) based on the lack of anatomical loss or use in his feet, hands, or eyes.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for cervical strain with disc disease and traumatic arthritis, as well as claims for service connection for various conditions, were denied. The Veteran was also denied a temporary total evaluation for his right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's asthma and recurrent pneumonia and bronchitis are being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine their relationship to service, including Gulf War environmental exposures.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including right and left knee disabilities, a left ankle disability, tinnitus, bronchitis, headaches (secondary to rhinitis), and sleep apnea. The claims are remanded for further development in several areas.

The Veteran's chronic bronchitis is currently rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not meet or more closely approximate the criteria for a higher rating.