Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's cause of death was metastatic colon cancer. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain relevant medical records and a VA opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s cause of death, including any herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has granted payment or reimbursement for the portion of medical expenses incurred by Radiology Physicians Solutions on March 26, 2016 through March 27, 2016 that the appellant remains liable after Medicare coverage. However, copayments or similar payments excluded under 38 U.S.C. § 1725(c)(4)(D) are not covered.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of perirectal abscess surgery and a residual linear scar have been denied as there is no evidence of three or more painful or unstable scars, which are required for higher evaluations under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred from August 30, 2015, to September 8, 2015, at Memorial Hospital and Critical Care Consultants were granted as they were filed within the required 90-day period after he exhausted action to obtain payment or reimbursement from a third party.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected low back disorder, and to determine if he is entitled to an increased evaluation.

The Veteran did not serve during a period of war, so the claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits is denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for a left ring finger disability, finding no evidence of an injury to that finger during his active duty or periods of inactive duty training. The Board concluded there was insufficient credible evidence to establish the condition occurred in service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left leg disability, claimed as cellulitis, is remanded due to the need for updated medical records and an examination to determine if his current skin conditions are related to in-service treatment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's B-Cell lymphoma of the left temporal lobe is related to his service, specifically radiation exposure from radar units. The Veteran was a radar repairman during his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for loss of smell, taste, and saliva as there was no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

Your appeal for a clothing allowance has been dismissed because you withdrew your request before the decision was made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to full payments of his military retirement and VA disability compensation, but DFAS improperly withheld these payments. The case is being remanded for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left lower extremity disability, finding that there was no evidence of current disability or relationship to service.

The Board has denied service connection for a personality disorder and remanded the cases of residuals of breast surgery and an acquired psychiatric disability (not including personality disorder). The decision is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding CUE in the March 5, 2005 rating decision that granted service connection for tibial stress fractures of the right and left legs with an effective date of April 5, 2004. The Board also dismissed the appeal regarding CUE in the denial of a 10 percent disability rating based upon multiple, noncompensable service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's Sjogren’s syndrome is remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its relationship to her military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of chronic prostatitis and benign prostatic hypertrophy, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation and earlier effective date for service connection of residuals of a fifth metacarpal fracture were denied. The Board found that the disability did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule, and no extraschedular consideration was warranted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and insufficient rationale in the VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Crohn’s disease and residuals of a colostomy due to Agent Orange exposure. The VA examiners are asked to provide opinions on whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to Agent Orange.