Other conditions decisions — 2009

The Veteran's eligibility for VA educational assistance under Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill) is denied because he did not meet the service requirements and his discharge was due to convenience of the government, not a service-connected disability or hardship.

The Veteran's appeal for increased nonservice-connected pension benefits during 2003 is denied. The validity of the overpayment of $358.00 in 2005 is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected diplopia, status post cataract extraction was granted a 50 percent rating effective December 22, 2008. An earlier effective date for the PTSD grant and the eye disability rating is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records. The issue remains whether he should receive an increased rating for his heart disability, which includes ectopic atrial tachycardia secondary to an atrial septal defect repair.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's venereal warts have resolved and do not currently cause any functional impairment. Therefore, a compensable disability rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot condition is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's current adenocarcinoma of the bladder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's status post cholecystectomy with chronic gastritis is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The evidence does not support a higher rating due to the mild symptomatology and lack of severe hemorrhages or large ulcerated areas.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, thus dismissing the case.

The VA denied reimbursement for the cost of private medical services provided to the appellant at Mercy Hospital Emergency Room on August 23, 2005 due to lack of prior authorization and other eligibility criteria not being met.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of head injury, blindness, and broken right hand and arm with arthritis. The decision also declined to reopen his claim for residuals of head injury.

The Veteran's death in July 2005 prevented the appellant from receiving accrued pension benefits for unreimbursed medical expenses submitted after his death.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred from July 11, 2006 to July 13, 2006 at Good Shepherd Medical Center is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether his condition was stable enough to be safely discharged or transferred.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical and dental records, VA and private medical records, and requesting authorization to obtain pertinent private medical records.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for sickle cell anemia, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to support the claim.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhagic gastritis, and possible typhoid fever. The service-connected schizophrenia aggravated these conditions.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Capital Regional Medical Center on January 4, 2007 are denied as the care was not rendered in an emergency situation and did not meet other criteria for payment under VA regulations.

The Veteran's overpayment of VA compensation benefits was found to be validly created, but not solely due to VA administrative error. The fault lies with both the Veteran and VA.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the July 2006 flexible sigmoidoscopy caused any additional disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Albany Medical Center on September 8, 2007 due to lack of emergency condition.