Kidney disease decisions — 2024

The Board has granted the appellant's appeal to use her independent living retirement community expenses for meals and lodging to reduce her countable income, but has remanded the matter of her entitlement to nonservice-connected survivor's pension benefits, including special monthly pension (SMP) based on need for aid and attendance/housebound status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic kidney disease is at least as likely as not related to his active-duty service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development regarding potential exposure to PFAS firefighting foam and for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his shoulder conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthmatic bronchitis has been granted with an effective date of September 19, 2019. The other claims remain denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic kidney disease and myasthenia gravis, finding that there is no established link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, hypertension, a heart disorder (atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease status post CABG), right knee amputation, and left knee amputation all related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient opinions regarding his genitourinary disorder and allergic rhinitis. The case will be returned for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of ulcerative colitis, residuals of cholangiocarcinoma with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, and chronic kidney disease, as these conditions were granted from October 19, 2018.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for a TDIU for the period beginning October 19, 2023, as it was fully granted. The claim is remanded to consider whether entitlement to a TDIU during the one-year lookback period prior to October 19, 2023, is warranted on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy have been granted, but his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. His claim for service connection for renal cell carcinoma remains pending due to the need for additional medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including failing to consider a critical medical report and VA treatment records. The Veteran's kidney condition is being reviewed again with an additional examination.

The Veteran's kidney condition and hypertension are denied as service connection is not established due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred during active duty or ADT.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that new and relevant evidence did not support readjudication of these claims. The TDIU claim was also denied as the Veteran's single service-connected condition (hiatal hernia) did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial ratings for hypertension and chronic kidney disease have been granted. The Veteran now has an effective date of December 30, 2019, for both conditions.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart condition and a kidney condition. The claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and determination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no one has requested substitution for the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal. No one has requested substitution for the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) with frequent urination and a left kidney scar, but denied service connection for residuals of throat cancer and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, a heart condition, and chronic kidney disease due to a duty to assist error regarding exposure to herbicide agents during service at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The Veteran's unit of assignment needs to be verified, and a request should be resubmitted to the Military Records Research Center.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney cancer is denied because new and relevant evidence has not been received, as the submitted evidence does not address the in-service incurrence or causal relationship of the condition.