Hemorrhoids Board decisions

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further development, including scheduling a hearing and readjudicating the claims.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is primarily unable to work due to a low back disability from an intercurrent injury and severe heart disease.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation of hemorrhoids, service connection for PTSD, low back disorder, left wrist disorder, defective hearing, athlete's foot, urinary problems, and need for Aid and Attendance were all denied. The claim to reopen service connection for a dental condition was also denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a Travel Board hearing at the Waco, Texas Regional Office.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of service dates and obtaining medical records. The RO will also provide proper VCAA notice.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for hemorrhoids, service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and service connection for tinea cruris, tinea pedis, and tinea versicolor.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death was denied, and eligibility for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under Chapter 35 was also denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his service connection claims, including obtaining medical records from his periods of active duty training and seeking VA examinations to determine the relationship between his current conditions and service.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the Mercy Medical Center on February 4, 2004 was denied as there was no prior authorization and his condition was not clinically emergent to a point that seeking treatment at the VAMC would have been feasible.

The veteran's death was caused by left-sided pneumonia and sepsis, but the service connection for cause of death is denied as there is no evidence of a service-connected condition that contributed to his death.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating and effective date for his service-connected hemorrhoids with rectum and anus impairment of sphincter control is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Dr. Babayan and other VA providers.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including providing proper VCAA notice and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the appellant's right ankle disability and hemorrhoids are not service-connected as they are attributed to post-service injuries, and there is no evidence of in-service aggravation or connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding no clear and unmistakable error in VA rating decisions or entitlement to a total disability rating continuously from discharge until death.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for hemorrhoids and a residual scar from a skin graft of the right malleolus were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in rating for either condition.

The Board finds that the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 26, 2002 for the grant of Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) cannot be granted as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for TDIU at any time before June 26, 2002.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hiatus hernia with reflux and vascular calcification of abdomen, urethritis, squamous papilloma (claimed as nose cancer), headaches, hemorrhoids, ankle and leg weakness, neck pain, hypertension, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and multiple cancers. However, the claims are not granted due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any incident thereof.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of hemorrhoids and remanded it for further development.