Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for rectal cancer, finding that it was not incurred or caused by his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate due to her service-connected overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis disability are granted for the entire rating period on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for supraventricular arrhythmia (claimed as atrial fibrillation) is denied. The maximum schedular rating of 30 percent has been assigned, and no higher rating is available.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for Crohn’s disease prior to October 17, 2014 was denied. The Board also declined to grant an earlier effective date for the award of TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions and further development is needed.

The Board found that the appellant's death pension benefits were improperly terminated due to a mistake in her reported remarriage date, and thus granted her claim.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for a new VA examination to assess her right hip disability, as the previous examination did not comply with the requirements of Correia v. McDonald (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin (2017).

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for a dental disorder, including temporomandibular joint disease as secondary to service-connected residuals of a fractured mandible and loss of teeth is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's vision problems, including photophobia, are being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if they are related to his service-connected migraine/vascular headaches.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate previous VA examinations and the need for updated medical records. A new VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran has ADD or ADHD, whether it is related to service, and whether it is caused by his major depressive disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, specifically schizoaffective disorder, finding no evidence of a pre-existing condition and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostatic hypertrophy, finding that there is no competent evidence of a current genitourinary disability related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for cause of death and entitlement to nonservice-connected death pension benefits. The case will be reviewed by an oncologist to determine if the Veteran's esophageal cancer was related to military service, including exposure to herbicides. Additional information on the appellant's income from 2010 to present is also needed.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a neck condition due to conflicting medical evidence and lack of clear etiology. The Veteran's current cervical spine disability is being evaluated further.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasons provided in their previous decision regarding the severity of coronary atherosclerosis with premature supraventricular contractions prior to May 31, 2018 and the left ventricular ejection fraction.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning in its decision regarding the effective date for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the right lower extremity. The Veteran's condition was found to have manifested with functional loss prior to January 23, 2002.

The Board denied the claim for burial benefits as there was no evidence that the appellant's personal funds were used to pay the Veteran's funeral expenses.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right shin disorders due to the ambiguity in the October 2012 VA examination reports. The AOJ must secure an addendum opinion from the October 2012 VA provider regarding the existence and etiology of any current left and/or right shin disorder.

The Board dismissed the appeal regarding entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal prior to the decision being made.

The Veteran's income for 2016 exceeded the VA Means Test threshold, and he is not eligible for copay exemption in the VA healthcare system. The Board denied his claim.