Other conditions decisions — 2001

The RO denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected fibromyositis, currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left eye disability has been received, and thus the requirements to reopen the claim have been met.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for VA benefits as she did not have qualifying service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

The veteran's unauthorized private medical care from February 14 to February 18, 2000 was not authorized and did not meet the criteria for reimbursement or payment under VA regulations.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred during a hospital stay at a private facility is denied as the necessary prior authorization from VA was not obtained.

The veteran's service-connected traumatic cataract of the left eye is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that this rating is not in excess of what is warranted by the evidence.

The appellant's application for VA nonservice-connected pension benefits is denied as he did not establish the required service.

The Board has granted service connection for vaginitis and assigned a noncompensable disability rating, effective from November 1, 2000.

The Board has determined that the overpayment was solely due to VA administrative error and thus, it is invalid. As a result, the veteran's claim for waiver of recovery of the overpayment in compensation is granted.

The veteran claims service connection for degenerative joint disease of the spine, but his claim is remanded due to unverified National Guard service and incomplete medical records.

The veteran's request for a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals was postponed due to work commitments. The case is being remanded back to the RO for scheduling a personal hearing at the RO before a traveling member of the Board.

The Board denied the appellant's attempt to reopen her claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the veteran for VA purposes, finding that the evidence submitted since the previous decision was not new and material.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for actinic keratoses as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, finding no evidence linking his current skin disorders to his military service.

The Board has decided that the veteran's lung disorder is service-connected, based on direct evidence.

The Board has determined that a compensable disability evaluation for the veteran's left varicocele is not warranted.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current corneal abrasion disorder and denied his claim for service connection. Additionally, he was referred to the RO for initial consideration of increased evaluations for arteriosclerotic heart disease with angina and hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for SMC at a rate in excess of the intermediate rate between 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(m) and (n), finding that his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for such an increase.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for an increase in the apportionment of her husband's non-service-connected pension benefits and a retroactive effective date.,Specifically, the Board found that the appellant did not demonstrate financial hardship warranting increased apportioned payments from October 1, 1998 to March 20, 2000.

The veteran's claim for VA disability compensation due to treatment rendered by VA in November 1997 was denied as there is no evidence of additional disability related to the treatment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right leg varicose veins began during his active service and grants service connection for this condition.