Chronic bronchitis Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeals of entitlement to service connection for bronchitis, residuals of pneumonia, and lichen planus of the bilateral wrists and ankles due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these claims. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder was reopened, but the issue of a compensable rating for chronic bronchitis prior to May 7, 2009 remains denied. The Veteran is now rated at 10% for his chronic bronchitis from May 7, 2009 onwards.,The effective date for service connection of chronic bronchitis was dismissed as the Veteran did not file a timely appeal regarding this issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and ratings have been denied. The claim for dry eye syndrome due to PRK surgery was not reopened, while the remaining issues were denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, and dermatitis due to a lack of an opinion regarding their etiology. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of a left hip condition, left knee condition, lung conditions (including asthma and bronchitis), and hypertension. The issues have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim of service connection for a respiratory disability and remanded the issues of service connection for chronic sinusitis, right knee patellofemoral syndrome and osteoarthritis, and neurological symptoms (claimed as hiccups and muscular twitching of the eyes).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of loss of use, blindness, or severe burn injury. The Board found no inhalation injury and denied eligibility.

The Board has ordered the Veteran's VA vocational rehabilitation folder to be obtained and associated with his e-file. They are also requesting an addendum from a previous examiner who evaluated him in June 2016, asking them to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s currently diagnosed bronchitis and allergic rhinitis had their clinical onset during active service or is otherwise etiologically related to any incident of service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for bronchitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease as the Veteran withdrew his appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids, the propriety of reducing his bronchitis disability rating from 30 percent to noncompensable, and service connection for hypertension have all been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these appeals.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, bronchitis, asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diverticulosis, colon polyps, kidney stones, cysts and lumps, facial acne, headaches, and depression. The remand requires obtaining private medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has denied service connection for left hamstring and bronchitis disabilities, as well as dizziness, fainting, speech impairment, and bilateral hand tremors. The evidence does not support the presence of these conditions during or after military service.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, recurrent upper respiratory infections (URIs), and allergic rhinitis as these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for reopening service connection for left hip and left ankle disabilities have been granted. The Board has also remanded several issues including service connection for thyroid cancer, breast mass, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, hypertension, digestive disorder, respiratory condition, upper back/neck disability, migraine headaches, and others.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic bronchitis is rated at a noncompensable level, while his migraines are now rated at a 10 percent level effective from the date of decision.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a non-VA hospital was denied because the care provided did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment and a VA facility was feasibly available.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis, finding no evidence of a current respiratory disorder related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his in-service injuries or diseases.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and an opinion regarding whether her service-connected disabilities render her permanently and totally disabled.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bronchitis, finding no current evidence of the condition and concluding that his allegations were not competent to establish a diagnosis.