Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's emergency medical treatment at St. Mary’s Hospital on November 10, 2012 is eligible for payment or reimbursement under VA regulations due to the nature of his condition and his enrollment in the VA healthcare system.

The case is being remanded due to the Board's decision on service connection for an ear disability was based on an inaccurate factual predicate. The Veteran needs a new VA examination and medical opinion to determine if his ear disability had its onset in service or is otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's emergency medical care at a private hospital was granted reimbursement because his symptoms were related to an emergent condition and the nearest VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disorder and head injury residuals are granted. The claim for initial rating greater than 10 percent for right knee arthritis is remanded, and the TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of verification regarding the Veteran's in-service herbicide exposure, specifically at the Royal Thai Air Force Base in Udorn, Thailand.

The Veteran's herpes simplex II is rated at 30 percent, as it affects less than 5% of his total body area and he uses systemic therapy for outbreaks.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to glioblastoma multiforme, finding it more likely than not related to exposure to herbicides in Thailand during his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion on whether the appellant was insane at the time of offenses leading to his discharge.

The case is being remanded due to the need for further development, specifically obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the addition of the Veteran's spouse to his VA disability compensation award, finding that no legal basis existed and that the appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for an effective date of January 31, 2013, for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits was received by VA prior to April 2013. As a result, the appeal is granted.

The Veteran's flight training course at FTI was not an approved program of education for VA purposes, and therefore retroactive payment of educational benefits must be denied.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at St. Francis Hospital are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records, specifically from his in-patient hospitalization period.

The appellant is not recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits purposes due to a lack of legal basis, despite living together with the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a vision disorder and macroadema of the pituitary gland, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty.

The Veteran's chronic lymphocytic leukemia is not related to service and was not caused by exposure to herbicides during service. The Board denied the claim as there was no evidence of in-service onset or exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected ingrown toenail disabilities are being remanded for an updated VA examination to assess the current severity of his disabilities and obtain any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service connection for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is granted due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, which is presumed based on his time there.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a back injury, left side pain, and left foot injury is denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an opinion from a specialist regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's cause of death is listed as cholangiocarcinoma, but no records have been obtained to determine its cause or onset.