Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fatal myocardial infarction was caused by his service-connected COPD, and therefore grants service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private facility from June 2, 2009 to June 6, 2009 are approved as the emergency services were provided in an emergency department and the condition was of such severity that delay would have been hazardous.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions and any other potentially related conditions contributed to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings for various conditions, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on the current medical records and available evidence.

The Veteran's claim for payment of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica, New York from December 22 to December 24, 2008 is denied as VA facilities were feasibly available and the Veteran was stable for transfer.

The Board finds that the reduction of the Veteran's disability rating from 100 percent to 30 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease was proper due to improvement in his condition. The claim for permanency of the 100 percent schedular rating is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the extent of his service-connected disabilities' impact on his ability to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions including a bilateral foot disorder, left knee disorder, hiatal hernia, residuals of pilonidal cyst, residuals of cholecystectomy, right shoulder disorder, hypertension, heart disorder, asthma, and an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder and whether it is related to service. The claim will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in his need for regular aid and attendance, including the inability to dress or undress himself, the inability to attend to his hygiene, the need to frequently adjust any special prosthetic or orthopedic appliance, the inability to feed himself or attend to the wants of nature, the incapacity to protect himself from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment; and the Veteran is not bedridden.

The Veteran's service connection claims for heart disorder, anemia, lung disorder to include shortness of breath, stroke, and numbness on the right side are granted as these conditions are presumed due to herbicide exposure. Service connection is also granted for diabetes mellitus type II secondary to hypertension.

The Veteran seeks reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at St. Mary's Hospital between January 29, 2010 and February 16, 2010. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if VA facilities were feasibly available for the treatment on those dates.

The Veteran's death was caused by arteriosclerotic heart disease, which is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Therefore, the criteria for service connection have been met and the claim is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, to include restoration of a 40 percent disability rating, has been withdrawn. The Board also dismissed the claim for TDIU benefits as there is no evidence that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board found that the Veteran's cardiovascular disorders, including coronary artery disease and angina, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The heart murmur observed during his active duty was determined to be a transient condition.

The Veteran died from metatastic gastric carcinoma, with other conditions contributing to death. The cause of death is not service-connected due to lack of evidence and the issue remains pending for further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his heart condition and hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional development of the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition and right ear hearing loss are not service-connected, with no compensable rating assigned for his right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current atypical chest pain is less likely as not caused by or the result of his active duty service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found no current residuals of the shell fragment wound of the neck and denied service connection for all issues. The Veteran's claims were not related to any inservice injury or exposure.