Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's splenic cyst is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board has ordered a remand to consider new evidence and determine if the Veteran's symptoms are related to his splenic cyst.

The Veteran's right knee condition is granted service connection, but his left knee condition remains denied due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran's Von Willebrand's disease was rated based on the severity of her platelet counts. The Board denied an increase in ratings, but remanded for consideration of an extraschedular rating due to the significant impact of the condition on daily activities and work.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claim for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, but has remanded the case due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether PCOS is a congenital or developmental defect.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for readjudication of the issue regarding waiver of recovery of VA disability compensation benefits in the amount of $41,297.29 due to incarceration in excess of 60 days following conviction of a felony from May 1997 to December 1998.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the loss of teeth 1 to 6 and 11 to 16 as secondary to his service-connected disability of loss of teeth 7, 8, 9, and 10 due to trauma. The evidence did not support a finding that these losses were directly related to either the trauma in service or secondary to the use of a partial denture for the service-connected teeth.

The Board denied service connection for esophageal cancer, finding that the evidence did not support a link to military service or herbicide exposure. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also found to be noncompensable.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding entitlement to a total disability rating for compensation based on unemployability of the individual during a hearing before the Board.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's ruptured left bicep tendon is related to military service or a service-connected disability, specifically his ruptured right bicep tendon.

The Board found that the overpayment of VA compensation benefits was validly created due to the Veteran's failure to notify VA of his divorce, and thus denied the appeal.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a neurological disorder of the left lower extremity and PTSD, as well as TDIU. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD prior to December 14, 2018 is denied.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is receiving the correct DIC benefits based on her eligibility and there are no changes needed to her current benefit amount.

The Board has decided that the change in the Veteran's means test eligibility category from exempt to copay required for income year 2017 was proper, but requires additional documents related to his income and expenses.

The Board found that the overpayment of compensation benefits was valid due to the Veteran's incarceration for a felony conviction, and reduced his benefits accordingly.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, which included dementia, was related to his service and granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's treatment at East Jefferson General Hospital on February 4, 2015 was for a condition of such nature that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected that delay in obtaining the treatment would have been hazardous to health. The claim is granted for payment or reimbursement of the portion of unauthorized medical expenses incurred during non-VA treatment at East Jefferson General Hospital on February 4, 2015.

The appeal for service connection of stroke has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of myelodysplastic syndrome as secondary to his service-connected prostate cancer, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for carcinoma of the small intestine with metastatic to the liver, colon cancer, and brain cancer due to exposure during service in the Gulf War. The VA needs to obtain additional information about the Veteran's unit movements and exposures.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a fracture of the left tibia and extensor tendonitis, left foot were denied as there was no evidence to support higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.