Chronic bronchitis Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection for chronic bronchitis, and it is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for lipomas, but denied service connection for bilateral shoulder disabilities, bronchitis, and migraine headaches as there is no current disability found to be related to active service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and established a 20 percent evaluation for the Veteran's left ankle strain. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss, pulmonary disorder, right foot bunion, left foot bunion, right hand disorder, right CTS, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and likely etiology of his claimed conditions, including asbestosis, COPD, emphysema, and bronchitis.

The Board found no causal connection between the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including asthmatic bronchitis, and his active service.

The Veteran's COPD, previously characterized as bronchitis, is rated at 10 percent prior to June 6, 2012 and increased to 30 percent thereafter. The sinusitis with allergic rhinitis is rated at 10 percent. The radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine is rated at 10 percent prior to June 6, 2012 and increased to 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Memorial Hospital Jacksonville on January 4, 2012 is denied because the treatment was not rendered in a medical emergency and there is no evidence that it would have been hazardous to his life or health if delayed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include bronchitis. As the appeal was withdrawn, it is dismissed.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support service connection for the claimed respiratory and psychiatric disabilities, as well as a disability of numbness and paralysis of the left foot. The Veteran's claims were denied.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of current disability meeting VA standards.,Service connection granted for left ear hearing loss, with the condition etiologically related to an injury in service.,Service connection not established for a low back condition due to lack of chronic disability manifestation or evidence linking it to service.,Muscle contractions in the right hand were not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.,Muscle contractions in the left hand were also not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness (including gastrointestinal disorder, bronchitis, and fatigue) was denied as there is no evidence of a qualifying chronic disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD, asthma, and bronchitis are related to his in-service asbestos exposure. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's condition warranted emergency treatment and that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected delay in seeking medical attention to be hazardous. The decision grants reimbursement for unauthorized private medical expenses incurred on October 10, 2011.

The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's respiratory disorder is related to service, including exposure to asbestos. The VA examiner concluded that there was no current respiratory disorder and provided detailed reasoning.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, effective from the date of claim. The Board has granted a separate 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and a separate 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity since May 16, 2012. A 50 percent rating is granted for the lumbar spine disability effective from November 3, 2014. The Veteran's chronic bronchitis has not been service-connected.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board denied an increased rating for bronchitis as the Veteran's pulmonary function test results did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder was reopened, but the condition is not currently found to be present.,Service connection for chronic bronchitis, claimed as a lung condition, was also reopened and denied.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital on January 21, 2013 is denied as the treatment did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment under VA regulations.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on October 13, 2012 for bronchitis were not reimbursable as the treatment was not preauthorized by VA and did not meet the criteria for reimbursement under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725 or 38 U.S.C.A. § 1728.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis, including as due to her service-connected asthma and sinusitis, is being remanded for additional development.