Diabetes decisions — 2009

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and diabetes mellitus, type II, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. Therefore, the Board grants a TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, as there was no evidence showing they combined to cause death. The appeal is denied.

The Board found no evidence of chronic hearing loss in service and concluded that the Veteran's current hearing impairment is not related to his military service. The issue of severing service connection for diabetes mellitus and associated cataracts was also denied as there was no clear and unmistakable error in the original grant.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service due to his service-connected disabilities, which may qualify him for a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a clarifying medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's Type II diabetes mellitus and adjudication of his inextricably intertwined claims for service connection for hemorrhagic pancreatitis and secondary service connection for alcohol abuse.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Lee Regional Medical Center from July 17, 2006 to July 19, 2006 was denied as the treatment did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment or authorization.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disability secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the requirements for service connection for the limited purpose of receiving VA outpatient treatment.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, with hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, rectal abscess, retinopathy, and renal insufficiency, was not incurred or aggravated by service, including as due to herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, diabetes mellitus (due to herbicide exposure), and heart disease have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD during service or currently suffers from PTSD. Diabetes mellitus is not related to service, nor can it be presumed due to herbicide exposure. Heart disease was also not related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and adjudication, including obtaining medical records from SSA, VA, and a private hospital.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied as there is no evidence of a disease in service or at any point during the presumption period, and the competent medical evidence does not establish a relationship between his current disability and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date for service connection were denied. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, PTSD at 50 percent.

The Veteran died from myocardial infarction, diabetes, and myasthenia gravis. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor could they be presumed to have been due to exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange.

The Veteran's hypertension, including as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, and tremors of the arms, hands, and legs, have been granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II on a presumptive basis due to in-service exposure to herbicides.

The Board found that the Veteran has diabetes and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that he did not serve in Vietnam. Therefore, severance of service connection for diabetes was improper.

The Board found that the cause of the Veteran's death was not due to a disability incurred in or aggravated by active service, including as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death based on exposure to Agent Orange is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not yet determined whether new and material evidence supports each individual claim. The Veteran's mental condition claim is now reopened due to his submission of new evidence regarding his alleged in-service PTSD stressors.