Other conditions decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for VA compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 are not well-grounded because there is no competent medical evidence linking his claimed disabilities to the VA treatment or surgery in question.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a right ear disability was not well grounded and denied it.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. No service-connected disability caused or contributed to the veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for review of additional evidence submitted by the appellant, including a March 2000 medical opinion on the cause of the veteran's death. The claim remains denied and will be returned to the RO for inclusion in a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for abdominal pain as it was not well-grounded, due to a lack of evidence of an underlying disability.

The Board granted secondary service connection for atrial fibrillation, but denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of bronchiectasis and a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's daughter, [redacted], is entitled to the proceeds of her father's NSLI policy as he designated her as the sole principal beneficiary in his last change of beneficiary form signed on February 17, 1996.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection for the cause of his death, DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, and DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318(b).

The veteran's apportionment of his disability compensation benefits was increased from $255 to $400 per month for himself and his minor children, B. and H., effective April 1, 1998, and October 31, 1998 respectively.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left foot is denied as there is no evidence that his condition warrants a higher rating.

The appellant is eligible for an apportionment of the veteran's VA compensation benefits on behalf of his minor children for the time period of July 1996 to July 1997.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for malaria and POW status, as well as his eligibility for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits. The decision found that there was no reasonable basis to question the service department findings regarding the veteran's military service, and that there is no current evidence of a diagnosed condition related to malaria or POW status.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for basic eligibility for VA benefits due to lack of new and material evidence, as all submitted documents were irrelevant or tangential to the appellant's service status.

The VA determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for stress reaction of both feet, claimed as stress fractures of both legs, is not well-grounded and denied it.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected gunshot wound residuals to the right posterior thigh and left lower abdomen do not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a dental disorder, including on the basis of dental trauma, and eligibility for outpatient dental treatment. The decision found that there was no evidence or opinion linking any current dental disorder to service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for depressed arches, but finds that it is not well grounded due to lack of current medical evidence.

The veteran's claim for an employment adjustment allowance and her declared rehabilitated status were granted. The veteran was deemed rehabilitated to the point of employability, and she pursued additional education in lieu of obtaining employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to unresolved questions regarding the veteran's exposure to mustard gas during service.

The unreimbursed medical expenses paid by the veteran during 1996 and 1997 cannot be considered in calculating his countable income for purposes of determining the amount of his improved disability pension benefits.