Diabetes Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss. The appeals were withdrawn prior to a decision.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination for diabetes mellitus. The intertwined claims of service connection for urinary frequency, increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and hearing loss are also inextricably intertwined with the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, requires daily insulin use and a restricted diet but does not necessitate regulation of activities. The Board finds that the current rating of 20 percent is appropriate as there are no indications of frequent hospitalizations or episodes of hypoglycemic reactions or ketoacidosis.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on aid and attendance of another person is granted, as he meets the criteria for housebound status due to his age and multiple non-service connected disabilities rated at least 60 percent combined.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not service connected due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70%, which does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and PTSD, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other conditions that would warrant presumptive service connection. The Veteran was not granted an increased rating for his PTSD.

The Board finds that the appellant's coronary artery disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to his exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam-era service.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his condition does not require regulation of activities.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is granted as secondary to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and readjudication due to inadequate VA examination reports in 2006 and 2007, which did not consider all of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities in combination.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus requires insulin and a restricted diet but does not require regulation of activities, episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring hospitalizations, or twice a month visits to a diabetic care provider. Therefore, the criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent have not been met.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred during service, and his cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus are included in the existing rating for that condition. The claim for increased ratings for hypertension, sleep apnea, lumbosacral disc disease, left knee ligament repair, and diabetes mellitus with diabetic cataracts is referred to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital on October 7, 2008 are approved for reimbursement as the treatment was deemed necessary due to an emergency condition that would have been hazardous if delayed.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus did not manifest during service and is not related to his military service. As a result, service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected pancreatitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA treatment and was not proximately caused by VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Johnson City Medical Center on June 5, 2009 were approved as the treatment was for a condition of such nature that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected delay in seeking immediate medical attention to be hazardous to life or health. Additionally, VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The claim for hypertension is pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.