Other conditions decisions — 2005

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of lacerating wound, left hand, but granted a separate disability rating of 10 percent for his painful scar. Service connection for arthritis, left hand, was also denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim seeking service connection for breast cancer due to exposure in service to ionizing radiation.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for an eye condition due to new and material evidence. However, the claim is denied as there is no competent evidence linking the current eye disability to service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of shrapnel wounds to the left bicep and scalp were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The veteran's application for enrollment in VA medical care benefits was denied because he is assigned to Priority Group 8, which includes nonservice-connected veterans who applied after January 17, 2003. The decision states that the criteria for enrollment are not met due to lack of legal entitlement under the law.

The Board found that the veteran's skin disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by active service and are not due to herbicide exposure in service. The claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and records to determine if the veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder due to service, and any current psychiatric conditions are not proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's right foot disability, currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's left epididymitis with varicocele is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board found no evidence to warrant a higher rating.

The appellant is not recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits due to their divorce at the time of the veteran's death.

The VA denied a higher initial evaluation for the veteran's fracture of his right middle finger, finding that the condition did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The veteran's cold injury residuals of the lower extremities are not service-connected.,His hyperopic astigmatism with presbyopia is a refractive error and not service-connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current diagnosis of scleroderma is not related to his military service or any service-connected disability, including his gunshot wound. Therefore, service connection for scleroderma is denied.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral eye disability, as the submitted evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board denied service connection for a perforated left eardrum, PTSD, and TDIU. The claim for service connection for the perforated left eardrum was previously denied in February 1980 and is not subject to revision on the same factual basis.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected back disability is being remanded due to the need for a comprehensive VA examination and updated medical records.

The Board has determined that the appellant's VA educational benefits under Chapter 30 were terminated due to receiving military educational assistance for the same course of study, resulting in a valid overpayment. The claim is denied.

The veteran did not meet the service requirements to establish basic eligibility for the appellant's improved death pension benefits, and thus her claim must be denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's Raynaud's phenomenon is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.