Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with duty to assist, substantial compliance, and need for an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's diabetes is secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorder or gastrointestinal condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to obtain medical opinions addressing theories of secondary service connection and obesity as an intermediate step.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, kidney condition, left foot condition, and right foot condition are denied. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.,No specific rating assigned or effective date provided.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic disability manifested by blurred vision, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and residuals of a stroke due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes and sleep apnea on a secondary basis to MDD due to inadequate medical opinions and missing evidence.

The Board has found that there were errors in the decision-making process and remands the case for proper notice to be provided, as well as a review of the evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's death was caused by Parkinson's disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II, all of which are diseases presumptively linked to herbicide exposure. The Board found service connection for the cause(s) of death is warranted.

The Board has found that the Veteran requires personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on need for supervision, protection, or instruction due to diagnosed conditions. However, additional development is needed to determine eligibility for PCAFC benefits under 38 CFR §71.20(a).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure is granted. However, the claim for service connection for glaucoma (claimed as an eye disorder) is denied.

Service connection for psychiatric disorders, sinusitis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II (as secondary to diabetes mellitus), and peripheral neuropathy is granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of November 22, 2011. The Board found that the Veteran has held only marginal and protected employment since this date due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathies associated with diabetes mellitus type II, diabetes mellitus type II, RLE and LLE peripheral neuropathies also associated with diabetes mellitus type II, tinnitus, and sinusitis, have resulted in a combined rating of 70 percent from December 30, 2019. The Board has granted an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA based on these service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to September 11, 2015.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and ischemic heart disease (IHD) based on a presumptive basis due to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance was denied as there is no evidence that he requires regular assistance from another person due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on statutory housebound status is denied as it is ancillary to his service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, which were granted effective May 14, 2021.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent effective August 17, 2018. Service connection for hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, right foot disability, left foot disability, and right shoulder disability are denied. TDIU is granted effective July 30, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to August 20, 2020, for the awards of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and Dependents' Educational Assistance due to lack of evidence supporting earlier eligibility.

The Board has determined that an effective date prior to February 23, 2024 for SMC at the housebound rate is not warranted due to the Veteran's final claims and subsequent rating decisions. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran needs regular aid and attendance based solely on service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's death was caused by Parkinson's disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II, all of which are diseases presumptively linked to herbicide exposure. The Board found service connection for the cause(s) of death is warranted.