Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for deviated septum and sinus condition due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran is asked to provide additional medical records, and a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if his conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's cause of death was adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is related to his in-service asbestos exposure. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected gastritis with irritable duodenal bulb and small hiatal hernia is currently rated at 30 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating as there are no symptoms of severe hemorrhages or large ulcerated areas.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a reproductive system disorder, finding no evidence of current disability and no link to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for generalized arthritis is denied as there is no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis.,The Veteran's eye disorder, diagnosed with pseudophakia and myopia, is not service-connected because the condition did not manifest during active duty or within one year post-service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current midthoracic ankylosing spondylitis is service connected, as it was related to his active military service.

The Board denied the restoration of DIC benefits from January 1, 2006 to February 29, 2016 due to remarriage before age 57 and lack of legal merit.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for accrued benefits is remanded due to a need for clarification on whether she wishes to pursue the Veteran’s unadjudicated claims as a substitute or for accrued benefits purposes. The appellant must be informed about her rights and then the AOJ should make a substitution determination if applicable.

The Veteran's appeal for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at WRMC, WPH, and ancillary non-VA facilities is granted. The decision was based on the invalidation of a previous regulation that barred reimbursement in cases where a Veteran had partial coverage under health plans.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no evidence of current diagnoses or chronic disabilities related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied due to partial Medicare coverage, but the regulation is invalid and the claim should be reconsidered based on other criteria.

The Veteran's DVT following a hydrocelectomy is not considered an additional disability due to VA treatment, as the evidence does not establish that it was caused by VA carelessness or negligence. The risk of DVT from this minor procedure was deemed rare and not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has decided that not all relevant evidence is in the claims file and requests additional information from the Veteran. The case will be returned for further action.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the eligibility for Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's dysphagia is denied as the evidence does not support a finding of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill or similar incidence of fault on the part of VA personnel. The Board finds that a reasonable person in similar circumstances would have proceeded with the UPPP procedure even if informed of the foreseeable risk of dysphagia.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's low testosterone may be service-connected, but requires further examination to determine its etiology and whether it is related to his service-connected left varicocele surgery with pain.

The appellant is not recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of establishing eligibility for DIC benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lupus is related to her active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The appellant withdrew all pending appeals, leading to the dismissal of the case.

The Veteran's cause of death, acute myocardial infarction, was not caused by service-connected disability. The Board found no evidence to support herbicide exposure in Thailand and concluded that the Veteran did not meet the requirements for exposure to herbicides.