Diabetes decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and severity of the veteran's diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's claim for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus as a result of exposure to Agent Orange is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his presence in Vietnam and other Southeast Asia locations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate consideration of factors in determining whether equity and good conscience precluded some or all of the debt, as well as failure to identify any purposes or objectives of the veteran's disability compensation benefit.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, finding no evidence of such exposure and noting that there is no presumption of exposure to Agent Orange based on his service aboard a ship off Vietnam. The Board also found no direct service connection due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment.