Other conditions decisions — 2018

The appeal of the nonservice-connected pension based on countable income is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's biological son, who was born in October 1976 and turned 42 at the time of his father's death, is not eligible for DIC or other VA benefits due to being over 18 years old. The Board found no evidence that he was permanently incapable of self-support prior to turning 18.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for insomnia, and as a result, the Board dismissed the case.

The Board found that the overpayment of VA compensation benefits was due to sole administrative error by VA, and not the Veteran's actions. The appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's deviated nasal septum is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a right upper extremity neurological disability, including secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disorder, should be remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, finding that there was no evidence of an undiagnosed illness or chronic multisymptom illness during active service and that his current respiratory condition is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease (DJD) thoracic spine with spinal stenosis and thoracic scoliosis is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that this rating does not adequately reflect the severity of her symptoms.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of sores of the mouth, to include herpes simplex. The claims for increased ratings of bilateral knees and TDIU were remanded.

The Board has denied an earlier effective date for the recognition of C. C. as a dependent child for educational purposes, and thus remanded the case to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if the Appellant was insane at the time of his desertion and to obtain a full copy of his service treatment records.

The Veteran's mental disabilities were rated at 100% effective September 28, 2014 due to total social and occupational impairment. The issue of entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot because the Veteran already has a 100% disability rating for mental disabilities.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private urgent care facility on March 25, 2014 are denied as VA did not provide prior authorization for the services.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for service-connected genua valga with chondropathia and muscle compartment syndrome of both knees due to inadequate examination findings.

The Board found the overpayment of dependency allowance to be invalid due to VA's failure to properly notify the Veteran of his updated address and subsequent reduction in benefits, and the Veteran's timely notification of changes.

The Board found the overpayment of dependency allowance to be invalid due to VA's failure to properly notify the Veteran of his updated address and subsequent reduction in benefits, and the Veteran's timely notification of changes.

The Veteran's pernicious anemia and Vitamin B12 deficiency are found to have onset during his military service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The reduction from 60 percent to 10 percent for pleural plaque in the right hemothorax was improper, and a 60 percent rating is granted effective January 1, 2019. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has been raised as part of the increased rating claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding service connection for a heart disability, including as related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's heart conditions are being evaluated again with an emphasis on direct service connection and secondary service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected herpes simplex. The VA needs to provide an examination and clarify if the treatment is systemic therapy.