Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the appellant's character of discharge from military service is a bar to entitlement to VA benefits due to his willful and persistent misconduct, including numerous periods of unauthorized absence and disobeying lawful orders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left hip disability, including arthritis and hip replacement, is related to his active service. The claim for entitlement to service connection for a left hip disability is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal, and thus denied the appeal.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as his total disability rating had not been in effect for at least 10 continuous years immediately preceding his death.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 60 percent disability rating for bilateral defective hearing is being remanded due to the need to obtain missing VA treatment records from before August 2004.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal regarding his claim for service connection for facial numbness with difficulty swallowing, as secondary to a service-connected cervical discectomy. The evidence does not support a finding that this condition is related to military service or a service-connected disability.

The VA determined that the Veteran's pulmonary interstitial fibrosis did not manifest during service and is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is not related to his active service or a service-connected right knee disability, and therefore denied service connection. For his bilateral hearing loss, the evidence does not show an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's dental condition, including missing teeth numbers 6 through 10, is not service connected as it does not meet the criteria for direct service connection. The Board finds no evidence of trauma to the face during service and no treatment records indicating any dental traumas occurred.

The Board finds that the Veteran's fibroid cyst on right ovary, status post hysterectomy is not related to active military service and therefore denies her claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a medical opinion on whether any service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding reimbursement or payment for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a non-VA facility from February 6, 2013 to February 8, 2013. The VA is requested to provide a complete accounting of charges and efforts to transfer the Veteran to a VA facility.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 31, 2012 for the grant of service connection for a psychiatric disability is being remanded due to incomplete medical records and need for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected idiopathic hypersomnia, including whether there are separate and distinct sleep attacks associated with this condition that are not related to his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's residuals of pneumothorax, including intercostal neuralgia, do not warrant a combined rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, thus denying the reopening of the claim.,The Veteran's entitlement to SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance was denied as he did not have a service-connected disability requiring such benefits.

The Veteran's schizoaffective disorder has been rated at 70 percent since September 25, 1986. Effective dates for Dependents' Educational Assistance and additional compensation have been established based on the effective date of service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral hip disorder.

The Veteran's skin condition has been rated at 10 percent prior to April 27, 2009 and at 30 percent thereafter. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the criteria of Diagnostic Code 7806.