Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of additional compensation based on a dependent spouse, finding that no prior application was received by VA prior to June 2004.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of non-VA medical treatment is denied because he was not enrolled in the VA health care system and had no prior VA medical services within the 24-month period preceding the emergency treatment.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disorder, finding that there is no competent evidence of record of a dental disorder due to in-service trauma. The veteran was not granted compensation benefits as his teeth were extracted after service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of degenerative myopia of the left eye is denied as there was no indication of any earlier filed document prior to October 25, 1999.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and issuing an SOC on the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for tenosynovitis of the left index finger.

The Board has determined that an apportionment of the veteran's disability compensation benefits on behalf of his three minor children is not warranted due to undue financial hardship caused by the veteran.

The Board denied the appellant's request to reopen his claim, stating that no new and material evidence has been submitted since the last final decision in January 2000. The character of his discharge remains a bar to VA benefits.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from November 2000 to August 2001 is being remanded due to the need for further development of his Social Security Administration records.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for cold injury residuals of the feet was denied. The criteria for a compensable rating prior to June 27, 2000 were not met, and the current ratings under new Diagnostic Code 7122 are found to be appropriate.

The Board has granted higher initial ratings of 40 percent for peripheral vascular disease of the right and left lower extremities, effective February 6, 2006.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current occlusive peripheral vascular disease is related to her service.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal and thus has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA cardiac examination to determine if the veteran's cardiovascular disability is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and whether it was aggravated by military service.

The Board found no evidence of degenerative joint disease of multiple joints in service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection. The issue of an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for mechanical low back pain with degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease is remanded.

The Board has determined that there are discrepancies in the RO's calculations of retroactive award payments and has ordered further action to resolve these issues.

The veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for patellofemoral pain disorder with synovitis and prepatellar bursitis, left is being remanded due to the need for a current VA examination and notification regarding effective date and initial disability rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and readjudication due to a procedural error in assigning an effective date.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing proper VCAA notice.

The Board found that the veteran's left hydrocele did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation and denied his claim.