Other conditions decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have recognized active military service for the purpose of obtaining the one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, and therefore denies legal entitlement to this benefit.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The left heel ulcer was granted a noncompensable rating effective February 7, 2008. The Veteran's neck injury did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was in the line of duty and not due to willful misconduct, thus granting service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's malaria does not represent an active condition and thus did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The claim for diabetes mellitus was also denied as it was not related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals from inguinal hernia repair and fracture of the left hand do not warrant a compensable rating under VA disability evaluation criteria.

The Veteran's benign essential tremors of both hands have been rated at 20 percent since June 24, 2006.

The Board has determined that the appellant filed a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) regarding the May 2009 denial of entitlement to a one-time payment from the FVEC Fund. The appeal is granted.

The Board found that defective visual acuity in the right eye was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not related to a service-connected disability. The Veteran's claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary atherosclerosis is currently evaluated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his current symptomatology.

The Veteran's arthritis of the bilateral sacroiliac joints, fusion, with degenerative changes of L5-S1 is currently rated at 20 percent and his disability does not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including VA examinations and medical opinions regarding his gastrointestinal disorder and joint pain.

The Board denied service connection for edema of the right lower extremity, finding that there is no current diagnosis or manifestations of such condition. The Veteran's symptoms are considered part of his already service-connected peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was related to his military service and secondary exposure to herbicides from handling bodies and clothing of those who served in Vietnam.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for a right inguinal hernia were denied as the treatment was not an emergent situation and he had coverage under Medicare Part A.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of adenocarcinoma of the prostate was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran died in February 2004 and the appellant is seeking non-service-connected burial benefits. However, the Board found that the Veteran was not hospitalized by VA at the time of his death and thus did not meet the criteria for payment of such benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's chronic cutaneous lymphoma, to include B-cell lymphoma, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by, a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for basic eligibility for educational assistance under Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill or MGIB) was denied as he did not meet the required service requirements and there is no evidence of voluntary separation incentives that would qualify him for this benefit.

The Board has denied the claim for an earlier effective date for nonservice-connected death pension benefits, finding that no new evidence was submitted to reopen a previously denied service connection claim.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not currently have peripheral vascular disease of the upper extremities and thus, service connection for this condition is denied.