Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the Veteran's surviving spouse is an eligible substitute claimant for the purposes of processing the retroactive adjustment of pension benefits from September 28, 2018 to July [REDACTED], 2019 due to unreimbursed medical expenses. The matter is REMANDED for further adjudication based on substitution.

The Board has determined that more development is needed to determine if the Veteran's tear Achilles tendons, right and left, are related to his service-connected knee disability. The case is being remanded for a VA examination.

The appeal of the issue regarding payment or reimbursement of medical expenses from Catalina Dental was dismissed as no decision on this matter had been issued by VA.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal for restoration of his spouse, S.L., and child, C.L., as dependents for additional VA dependency benefits. The overpayment was found to be invalid.

The Veteran's eosinophilic esophagitis is rated at 30% from September 10, 2010. His constant oral infections of the mouth are separately rated at 30% from August 30, 2018.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as cardiac arrhythmia contributed by hypotension and multiple myeloma. The Board found the evidence insufficient to establish herbicide exposure, thus denying service connection for cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral eye disabilities, including recurrent pterygium and mild cataracts, are not related to his service. The evidence does not support a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for MRSA is being remanded due to a lack of a medical opinion regarding the proximate cause of his MRSA.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to the need for new VA examinations and for obtaining outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected back and leg pain prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 19, 2018. The Board has remanded the case for further consideration of TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the claims for medical expense reimbursement due to incomplete records. The AOJ is instructed to reconstruct and upload all relevant documentation.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, specifically degenerative joint disease (arthritis), were granted a separate 10 percent evaluation for limited extension of the right and left knees beginning February 7, 2020. The claim was denied for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service treatment records and failure to address the issue of reopening the right hip disorder claim in the supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to issues related to increased ratings for shin splints and a TDIU rating.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim for an effective date prior to June 20, 2016 for survivor pension benefits as no valid application was received before that date.

The Veteran had no pending claims for accrued benefits at the time of his death, so he did not qualify for these benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's multiple myeloma is related to his service, specifically exposure to burn pits. The examiner must provide a clear rationale and discuss relevant medical principles.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for itching between the toes and a bilateral leg condition, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service.,Both issues were denied as the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Board has decided that the complete file for the claim of entitlement to payment or reimbursement for unauthorized expenses incurred by the Veteran is missing and must be reconstructed. The AOJ will upload all relevant documentation related to the appeal, including the original claim and decision and any medical records.