Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Veteran's cause of death, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, was not found to be related to service. The Board determined that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service asbestos exposure or other service-connected condition contributing to the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred on September 3, 2019, at Manatee Memorial Health is granted because the treatment was necessary due to a condition that would have been hazardous if delayed and no VA facility was feasibly available.

The appeal for payment of home health aide services provided on March 27, 2020 was dismissed as the claim has been administratively reversed and approved.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate September 2020 VA examination, and a new examination is needed to determine if any nose disability, including a deviated septum, was incurred in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized non-VA medical expenses incurred in December and January 2011 due to lack of prior authorization, failure to meet emergency treatment criteria, and absence of coverage under VA health care.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for liver disease, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for causation or proximate cause as per VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the claims for a neck condition and muscle condition due to insufficient examination findings. The Veteran's service connection claim is not granted as there are no current indications of a qualifying chronic disability, and her muscle condition cannot be attributed to a known clinical diagnosis.

The Board has granted service connection for a lower extremity disability, manifested by pain and causing functional limitations, with the Veteran's chronic lower extremity pain and cramps dating back to his time in service.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date for service connection of a schizoaffective disorder and schizoid personality disorder based on the finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the October 1989 rating decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his service, including exposure to non-ionizing radiation from work as a radio relay equipment repairman and as a Troposcatter equipment repairman.

The Board has remanded the claims for loss of bowel control, loss of bladder control, and skull lesions to include as secondary to service-connected multiple myeloma due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing the effects of medication on these conditions.

The Veteran's right great toe fracture is rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating as his condition does not meet criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a dental disorder due to inadequate opinion from an October 2021 VA examination and failure to schedule a necessary VA examination. The examiner must address whether any missing teeth are related to service, including trauma, and if PTSD is aggravating or causing the dental condition.

The Board has decided that further investigation is needed to determine if the Veteran received drill pay during Fiscal Year 2011, and therefore the decision to withhold VA compensation benefits for this period was improper. The case is being remanded for additional evidence collection.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for swelling of the right flank as an additional disability due to VA medical treatment is granted. The appeal regarding entitlement to a Total Disability Rating for Compensation Purposes (TDIU) prior to March 5, 2016, is denied.

The Veteran's death was caused by pancreatic cancer, which is not service-connected due to lack of presumptive service connection. However, the Board has ordered a remand for a new medical opinion regarding whether exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune contributed to the Veteran's cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the combined impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to work. The Veteran will need a VA examination and possibly an opinion from a vocational expert.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient research on how much of the $19,646.87 debt had been collected prior to the Committee's waiver and what amount, if any, has been returned to the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected left temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess its current severity.