Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Veteran died in 1923 and is buried in a private cemetery. Since the death occurred before November 1, 1990, he does not meet the eligibility criteria for a government-furnished headstone or marker.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sickle cell anemia, finding that it clearly and unmistakably preexisted service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to allegations of worsening and the need for updated VA evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's heart conditions and their relationship to service. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence or an examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer, finding that his current diagnosis was not related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange. The evidence did not support a link between Agent Orange and colon cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's esophageal cancer may be related to exposure to ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation, or asbestos during service. However, due to the lack of a VA examination addressing these exposures and their relationship to the Veteran's condition, the case is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has restored the original 60 percent disability rating for restrictive lung disease, effective from February 1, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding service treatment records from the Veteran's early years of service. The appellant must provide these records for a full review.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses in the amount of $800.00, incurred at Tampa General Hospital from December 19-23, 2013 is denied because he had third-party insurance that fully extinguished his personal liability except for the $800.00 copayment.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for keratoconus and granted it, finding that the Veteran's diagnosed keratoconus is at least as likely as not related to in-service exposure to jet fuel.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in determining whether the appellant was insane at the time of his service discharge. The case is now pending for a new examination and opinion.

The Veteran died in May 2011 and was buried later that month. The appellant filed a claim for nonservice-connected burial benefits three years after the death, which is not within the two-year time limit as per VA regulations. Therefore, the claim is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine if the appellant provided personal funds to supplement his mother's income for her assisted living expenses during May 2013 to December 2013. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to be recognized as a surviving spouse of the Veteran because they were not married at the time of his death.

The Board found that the overpayment of VA compensation benefits was properly created due to the Veteran's delay in notifying the RO of his marital status changes.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure all relevant evidence is considered in the decision regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran is granted a 10 percent rating for limitation of extension of the right knee associated with osteonecrosis and osteopenia since August 26, 2016. A separate 10 percent rating was also granted for limitation of flexion of the right knee.

The Veteran's service-connected retinopathy requires the regular aid and attendance of another person, leading to a decision in favor of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for aid and attendance.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for excessive daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy as secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of narcolepsy.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not receive any VA compensation or pension benefits at the time of his death. The appellant's claim for burial benefits is denied as there are no legal grounds to award such benefits.