Other conditions decisions — 2009

The Board found that the effective date for removing the Veteran's first wife, B. N., from his compensation award was January 1, 1998, and the effective date for adding his second wife, S. N., as a dependent spouse was August 1, 2005.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic skin disorder is being remanded due to the need for an appropriate VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing notice of the bases for previous denials.

The Board has ordered the RO to review the validity of the debt creation and calculate the amount of pension benefits. The case will be returned to the Board for further action.

The Board found that the VA correctly calculated the death pension payments for the period from January 1, 2005 to November 30, 2005. However, it incorrectly calculated the payment for December 2005 and adjusted the amount accordingly.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for a 100% rating for his service-connected left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease is granted, effective December 6, 2006.,The Veteran's claim for increased disability ratings for his right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease remains denied.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal regarding the rating for traumatic acromioclavicular separation, left side. As a result, the Board does not have jurisdiction to consider this matter.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple myeloma, finding no evidence of a causal link to his military service or inservice exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim was not granted as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that the appropriate effective date is March 23, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for an appropriate hearing to be scheduled due to the appellant's inability to appear at her previously scheduled hearing.

The Veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension by reason of being in need of aid and attendance of another person.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for a basilar systolic murmur (claimed as a heart condition) because no new and material evidence was submitted, and the Veteran did not provide objective evidence of a non-congenital heart disorder related to his active service.

The Board has determined that an increase in the apportionment of the Veteran's disability compensation benefits from $200 to 40 percent is proper, providing more reasonable support for their children and not causing undue hardship.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred in May 2008 was denied because he had Medicare coverage, which precluded payment under the Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the claimant.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected right hip and pelvis disorder, including the reduction from a 20 percent to a 10 percent rating effective June 1, 2002. The appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Board found that the appellant's service was terminated under dishonorable conditions, preventing him from receiving VA benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected anemia, but rather due to his rectosigmoid cancer. Therefore, service connection for cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's gunshot wound to the mouth is manifested by loss of approximately one-half of the maxilla, which warrants a 30 percent rating.