Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's request for payment or reimbursement of emergency medical services provided at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center on January 17, 2011 is remanded due to the need for additional private treatment records from Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.

The Veteran's right arm/hand disorder is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if any current disorders are related to service, including the preexisting condition identified at enlistment.

The Veteran's service-connected hydronephrosis required a catheter removal, which was performed by an LRH physician at the Veteran's request. The decision grants payment or reimbursement for this medical service based on VA authorization.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral foot rash. The case is being remanded for further development, including an examination.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of the pancreas, attributing it to tobacco use. The evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents and chemicals and his pancreatic cancer.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right foot hallux rigidus is service connected. The issues of service connection for right foot metatarsalgia and right foot hallux valgus are remanded due to lack of a medical opinion.

The Veteran's CTCL of the left heel is granted as a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma due to presumed exposure, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The claim for service connection for a low back disability has been reopened. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for other conditions (left knee, allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, heart, hypertension, gall bladder removal residuals, hepatitis C, skin, dizziness with headaches) is remanded.

The Board granted an effective date of September 1, 2011 for the award of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death. The decision was made in favor of the appellant.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left clavicle fracture, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the current condition and that any potential relationship between the claimed disability and service is not supported by the medical evidence.

The Veteran's death occurred before the eligibility criteria for a government-furnished headstone or marker were established, thus denying the claim.

The Veteran died in August 2014 and the appellant filed a claim for burial benefits. The Veteran was not receiving any VA compensation or pension at the time of his death, nor did he have an original or reopened claim pending. The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and there were no next of kin to cover expenses. Therefore, the appeal is denied.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, finding that the Veteran's current knee disabilities are not related to his active military service and that Osgood-Schlatter's syndrome preexisted service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disability as there was no evidence of an in-service injury and no competent medical evidence linking current arthralgia to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) benefits because his character of discharge from service was under other than honorable conditions due to misconduct, which is a bar to qualifying for these benefits.

The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied due to her failure to cooperate with VA in a feasibility determination, including refusing to follow through with the objectives and criteria agreed upon in an Individualized Extended Evaluation Plan (IEEP).

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for the cause of death and death pension benefits due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's fatal pancreatic cancer is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has jurisdiction over both the issues of service connection for a heart murmur and a prostate disability. The Veteran's assertions that his conditions were caused by exposure to herbicide agents, including being sprayed with liquid chemicals on the USS Kitty Hawk, are remanded due to insufficient evidence. A remand is required to verify the Veteran’s in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The appeal to determine if aid and attendance benefits should be withheld due to a $500,000 settlement under the FTCA was dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's cause of death, acute myelogenous leukemia, is found to be related to his active service, specifically his exposure to herbicides during service in Vietnam.