Other conditions decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected diarrhea.

The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cardiac disability, other than pericarditis, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and cannot be presumed to have been caused by service-connected pericarditis.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to a lack of adequate explanation in the August 2013 VA examination report regarding the standard of care and risk associated with heparin use during colonoscopy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current brain injury is not related to his service and has denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for a new orthopedic examination to determine if the Veteran's scoliosis pre-existed service and/or whether it was aggravated by service. The current VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusions.

The Veteran's net worth was found to be sufficient to meet his expenses, thus denying him eligibility for nonservice-connected pension benefits with a special allowance for aid and attendance prior to his death.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred in August and September 2013 is denied because he had Medicare coverage, which disqualifies him from receiving such payments under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his right elbow disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder is being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a more current VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for residuals of a head injury and dizziness and loss of balance were denied as they are not considered service-connected due to lack of evidence supporting direct service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits as he did not meet the threshold minimum active duty service requirements.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding records related to the Veteran's education benefits claim. The effective date for additional compensation based on dependent status remains under review.

The appellant is entitled to accrued benefits for $6,279 in medical expenses paid on behalf of her deceased mother's last sickness.

The appellant is not entitled to recognition as the Veteran's child for the purpose of entitlement to DIC and death pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a medical opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of information regarding the date and form of the appellant's claim for survivor's benefits filed with the SSA following her husband's death in April 1985. The VA seeks confirmation from the SSA.

The Veteran's July 2011 surgery for a right 4th trigger finger necessitated at least one month of convalescence, which meets the criteria for a temporary total rating under 38 C.F.R. § 4.30.

The Veteran's appeal for higher evaluations for hammer toes of the right and left feet was denied.,Service connection for a bilateral leg disability, to include as secondary to the service-connected hammer toe disabilities, is also addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that no service-connected disability was a principal or contributory cause of his death.