Diabetes Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left-upper-extremity disorder, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right-wrist carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding that there was no evidence of its onset during active service or within one year of discharge. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support a secondary service connection due to hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection. The claims for renal dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU beginning June 23, 2019, due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date is based on the last day of his substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as secondary to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's duties placed him in and around the perimeter of Udorn Air Base and U-Tapao Air Base, which likely exposed him to herbicide agents including Agent Orange.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Maury Regional Hospital on March 18, 2015 is denied because a VA facility was feasibly available and the Veteran chose to go to a private hospital.

The Veteran's service connection claims for HTN, ED, and eczema as secondary to DM or exposure to herbicides are remanded. The Veteran's service-connected DM is rated at 20 percent, PN of the left lower extremity prior to January 24, 2020, is rated at 10 percent, and PN of the right lower extremity from January 24, 2020, is rated at 20 percent. The Veteran's CAD is rated at 10 percent prior to January 10, 2019, and from March 1, 2019, to January 23, 2020. His BHL and nephropathy are not compensable.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss has been granted.,Service connection is established for type II diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities. The claims for a chronic skin condition, diabetic retinopathy, coronary artery disease, and peripheral neuropathy are withdrawn.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction, including as due to diabetes mellitus. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service exposure or an etiological link between these conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and a left foot disorder due to potential issues with development and opinion requests. The special monthly compensation claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's right and left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy have been rated at 10 percent each, effective February 27, 2017. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for these conditions.,The Veteran's right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy has been rated at 20 percent, and his left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy has also been rated at 20 percent, effective February 27, 2017. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service, or within one year post-service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII) was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show that his DMII required regulation of activities to avoid complications. For the period prior to April 24, 2013, the Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as there was no evidence showing he could not secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's skin disorder is not considered a part of his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and he failed to report for the required VA examination. Therefore, his claim for an additional rating is denied.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his active service. The appeal for DIC benefits based on the cause of death is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicides while serving off the coast of Vietnam, which is necessary for establishing presumptive service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of left and right upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, as well as for special monthly compensation based on housebound status. The decision found that no earlier effective date was warranted due to lack of formal claims or sufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including a lack of records search for Agent Orange exposure in Korea and SSA disability benefits records.