Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's cricopharyngeal muscle hypertrophy (also claimed as Schatzki ring stricture of the esophagus) is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, and/or slow gastrointestinal (GI) motility with moderate tertiary contractions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain all relevant private treatment records related to the Veteran's aplastic anemia. The RO is instructed to attempt to secure these records and provide them to VA for review.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating and earlier effective date for a 10 percent rating for deformity of the nose was denied. The maximum schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 6502, 'septum, nasal, deviation of,' is already assigned, so no higher rating can be granted. For the earlier effective date claim, the Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeal on this issue at a prior hearing and did not file a new claim until September 21, 2017, when an increase in disability was factually ascertainable.

The Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis is granted as service connected, with no specific exposure basis provided.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral eye disability and for nonservice-connected pension, finding that there was no evidence of a superimposed disease or injury during service that caused additional disability. The veteran's conditions were deemed congenital defects not subject to service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Appellant's mental state at the time of misconduct leading to his discharge and whether this contributed to his misconduct. The AOJ is required to obtain updated treatment records, request a decision from the Navy Board of Correction of Naval Records, and conduct an examination by a VA clinician.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Mercy Hospital on September 6, 2015 is denied because the treatment was not provided for a service-connected condition and there was no indication that prior authorization was given.

The Board denied service connection for right and left hip disorders due to lack of evidence showing a direct link between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for recognition of A.S. as a helpless child due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 is remanded due to insufficient notice and incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. Service connection was not granted due to lack of a diagnosed condition, while the increased rating claim was denied as there is no evidence supporting an increase in disability beyond what is already accounted for by the current 10% rating.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized non-VA medical treatment at Emergency Care Physicians of Washington on January 30, 2018 is remanded due to the need for additional information regarding the reimbursable amount and whether the expenses were incurred as part of a deductible or coinsurance.

The appeal is dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for adjudicating the merits.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an increase in the amount of apportionment of the Veteran’s VA disability benefits prior to August 27, 2013, finding that it would result in undue hardship on the Veteran.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for chronic otitis externa as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal prior to the decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's essential tremor is related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service.

The Veteran's throat cancer was not incurred in service and is denied as the evidence does not support a finding of direct or presumptive service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for paraplegia with loss of use of both lower extremities, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee postoperative osteochondritis dissecans.

The Veteran's service connection claim for multiple myeloma is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his nautical service in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected right eye pterygium and left eye pinguecula with chronic dry eye syndrome and conjunctivitis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.