Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death was not related to service or a service-connected disability, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Veteran did not have any pending claims at the time of his death. The Veteran served as a recognized guerrilla but this does not qualify him for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection, including prostate cancer with erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, left and right knee disorders, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), lumbar spine disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, alleging exposure to herbicides during his tour in Okinawa. The Board finds that the claims file contains evidence indicating possible exposure to herbicide agents but lacks sufficient documentation to substantiate this claim. Therefore, a remand is required to obtain additional records and corroborate the Veteran's claims.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus. Service connection is denied for an acquired eye disability, chronic sleep disability, high cholesterol, type II diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's death was attributed to metastatic rectal cancer, but the cause of his death is being remanded for further verification and medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent, and his tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The Veteran's CAD has been granted a 30 percent rating effective May 31, 2011, and a 60 percent rating effective April 4, 2012. His diabetes mellitus, type II, is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 20 percent for each affected extremity. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathies are all rated at the maximum schedular ratings. Effective dates have been granted for various conditions and disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional evidence needs to be considered before a final decision can be made on the claims for initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral cataracts and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The case is remanded to allow for further development regarding the Veteran's entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a disability manifested by malaise, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have all been denied.,Service connection has not been established for any of these conditions on a direct basis due to lack of evidence showing their onset during active duty service or being related to such service.

Effective dates of April 21, 2014 are granted for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM2) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Effective dates prior to April 21, 2014 are denied for all other issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for right shoulder disorder and diabetes mellitus, type II due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was reopened and granted due to herbicide exposure. Service connection is also granted for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, but the heart disorder claim is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's cause of death, cardio-respiratory failure with metastatic cancer, is not service connected as the evidence does not show that his renal cell carcinoma was related to or caused by service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found no causal relationship between the Veteran’s active service and his diagnosed IHD or DMII.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 27, 2013 is being remanded due to the need for further adjudication of CUE claims. The issues are referred back to the AOJ for initial adjudication.

Service connection for residuals of prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus type II is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran is seeking payment or reimbursement for the cost of medical services received at Faith Regional Health from May 23, 2016, to May 26, 2016. The VAMC denied the claim because the Veteran was covered by Medicare and did not have a service-connected disability that would allow for payment under 38 U.S.C. § 1725. On remand, the VAMC should reconsider the claim in light of the change in regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain a unit history report for the Veteran's service in Korea, which could provide information about his exposure to Agent Orange and potentially impact his diabetes claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus was granted, with the condition being presumed due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.,Service connection for bladder cancer is remanded as there is no current presumption of service connection based on herbicide exposure.