Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of June 1, 2017. Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is established effective as of June 1, 2017.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the statutory housebound rate effective April 1, 2020. The claim for SMC prior to December 31, 2019 was dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to outstanding records and additional medical opinions are required.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, excluding the loss of use of both feet, meet the criteria for an award of aid and attendance benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l). This entitles him to special monthly compensation at the rate specified in 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Board finds that the current evidence does not support granting service connection under any raised theory of entitlement.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction (already service-connected), peripheral vascular disease of the right leg, and left eye optic nerve pallor are not rated higher than their current levels.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is already service-connected and thus does not warrant a separate rating.

The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer as secondary to service-connected prostatitis, but denied claims for Parkinson's disease and diabetes mellitus type II based on herbicide agent exposure and/or radiation exposure. The claim for hernia and its residuals was remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraines, hypertension, skin disorder, kidney disorder, and diabetes mellitus, type II, require further examination to determine their etiology. The claims are being remanded for these examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents at Shaw Air Force Base, which is necessary for a determination on presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes with erectile dysfunction was granted a 40 percent rating effective March 14, 2023. The appeal for higher ratings prior to that date and from March 14, 2023, is denied.

The Board has found that the RO failed to sufficiently attempt to verify the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents, specifically from 1985 to 1988 and service in Okinawa, Japan in 1987. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is granted under the PACT Act, and his degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine rating is restored.,PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. His diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction requires restricted diet or insulin therapy from September 19, 2015, to July 7, 2017, and one daily injection of insulin thereafter.,The Veteran's radiculopathy, right lower extremity is granted an increased rating, but tinnitus remains at the maximum schedular evaluation.,PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. His diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction requires restricted diet or insulin therapy from September 19, 2015, to July 7, 2017, and one daily injection of insulin thereafter.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed vision impairment and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss, PTSD, and bilateral knee disabilities have been granted.,Service connection has also been granted for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the cases of diabetes mellitus and bilateral leg scarring due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again with a new opinion that addresses all theories of service connection, including whether the honorable period of service could have caused or aggravated the disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran is also remanded for additional examinations related to his claimed disabilities, including bilateral feet, ankles, knees, shoulders, skin, frequent urination, migraines, PTSD, acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and Bell's palsy.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 20 percent, but no higher. The initial disability ratings for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy prior to June 14, 2021, are denied.,Effective from June 14, 2021, the Veteran's left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are each rated at 40 percent.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, skin/skin rash disorder, diabetes mellitus II, heart disease, and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged exposure to herbicides and missing service records.,The Board finds that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his active duty, particularly at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) in Gulfport, Mississippi.