Other conditions decisions — 2009

The Board denied the appellant's claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits, finding no new and material evidence to reopen her previous denial. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at University Community Hospital due to lack of prior authorization and failure to meet eligibility criteria under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for defective hearing in the left ear, as there is no competent medical evidence relating current hearing loss to service.

The appellant's claim for restoration of DIC benefits is denied as she submitted her claim after the statutory deadline.

The Veteran's claim for REAP benefits is denied as he was not eligible due to his break in service.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a non-VA facility was denied because VA did not provide prior authorization and the Veteran had no service-connected disabilities. The claim is also not eligible under the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act (VMHCBA).

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of inpatient medical care provided by Jewish Hospital from February 20, 2008 to February 27, 2008 is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional evidence.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of multiple joints and osteoporosis, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not incurred in or caused by active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete evidence. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to determine if his right knee disability is related to his left knee disability.

The Veteran's shell fragment wound to the right hand is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the appellant is not entitled to recognition as the Veteran's lawful surviving spouse for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), death pension benefits, and accrued benefits due to her divorce from the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of grenade fragmentation wounds to the left upper arm are currently productive of no more than slight impairment, warranting a noncompensable evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 27, 2004 for a 100% rating for his service-connected ulcerative colitis, status post ileostomy. The RO had determined that the earliest date of entitlement was September 27, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to determine if her delimiting date should be extended due to medical infeasibility of completing educational programs in the Fall semesters of 2007 and 2008.

The Veteran did not have Alzheimer's dementia that was causally or etiologically related to service or a service-connected disability. The cause of death, acute myocardial infarction, developed many years after service and is not considered the result of a disease or injury incurred in active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left leg disability, which included a scar noted at service entrance and worsened during service, was aggravated by active duty. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current heart disorder and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as 'jungle rot', was denied because the evidence did not establish that any current skin disorder is attributable to his military service or initially manifested while he was in service.

The Veteran's request for travel reimbursement under 38 C.F.R. § 70.10 to a VA medical facility in Boston, Massachusetts was denied. The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's vaginal yeast infections are rated at 30% effective May 18, 2006. The condition was not controlled by continuous treatment prior to that date.