Other conditions decisions — 2012

The Board found that the Veteran's Bertolotti's Syndrome, a congenital disorder, did not undergo in-service aggravation and thus denied service connection for his claimed low back disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a copy of the October 2008 VA examination report and scheduling him for an appropriate VA examination to evaluate his service-connected right upper arm nerve disability. The RO will also obtain any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and treatment records.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have qualifying service to be eligible for the one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a pulmonary disorder is being reviewed.

The Board has determined that the appellant's receipt of an other than honorable discharge was related to willful and persistent misconduct, but is remanding the case for further development due to missing service treatment records.

The Veteran's residuals of a right fourth finger injury with limitation of motion do not warrant an initial, compensable rating since the evidence does not show any disability comparable to ankylosis or amputation. The separate claim for a painful surgical scar of the right fourth finger is granted.

The appellant is scheduled for a hearing before the Board, but did not appear. The case is being remanded to schedule her for an additional hearing.

The Veteran's claims for pleurisy and varicose veins are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and inpatient service records. The claim for prostate disorder is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records. The Veteran asserts that his service-connected groin/pelvic area residual nerve damage has worsened, causing pain, numbness, and difficulty walking.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including providing proper notice to the appellant regarding new and material evidence, scheduling a hearing after his release from prison, and addressing whether new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the issue of whether the character of the appellant's discharge from service constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Board denied service connection for TMJ syndrome and endometriosis and uterine fibroids, finding no link between the Veteran's current conditions and her military service.

The Board finds that the appellant had no qualifying service and therefore does not meet the basic eligibility criteria for a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, leading to its denial.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital for emergency heart surgery are approved due to the nature of his condition and the unavailability of VA facilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for nerve damage, headaches, vision problems, speech problems, and short-term memory loss are being remanded due to their inextricability with his claim for an increased rating for the residuals of perforated left eardrum. The case will be returned to the RO for appropriate development.

The Veteran's claim for an extension of his delimiting date was granted up to August 1, 2010. Beyond this date, the decision is unknown as it does not involve service connection issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service records and personnel information in order to determine if he was discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability, which would allow him to be eligible for the 100 percent level of benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Wuesthoff Memorial Hospital from January 20, 1994 to January 30, 1994 was denied because the VA determined that he could have been safely transferred to a VA facility on January 20, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for education benefits under 10 U.S.C. Chapter 1606 was denied as the proper commencement date is June 27, 2007.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for shin splints, and the Board has dismissed this issue.