Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the advanced payment program and accounting of all education payments made to the Veteran. The AOJ is instructed to provide relevant legal authority, create a clear accounting of all payments, forward a VA Form 5655 for completion by the appellant, and readjudicate the issue.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of the Veteran's thrombocytopenia, which was previously denied in July 2006. The Veteran is asked to undergo a VA examination to determine if his thrombocytopenia had its initial onset during service or within one year after separation.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for carbuncles is granted, but the case is remanded for further development and medical opinion regarding the etiology of his current skin disorder.

The Board has decided that new evidence was submitted and is requesting a supplemental statement of the case to consider all newly acquired evidence.

The Veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and special monthly compensation (SMC) for loss of use of right arm and leg due to stroke are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection for a stroke claim that was previously remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to additional procedural development being required, including issuing a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) that addresses all evidence received since the November 2020 SSOC.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for basic eligibility to educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill because his service as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy did not qualify as active duty for purposes of the benefit.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, diagnosed as diverticular disease, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnosis and his active service. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed functional gastrointestinal disability or symptoms sufficient to qualify as an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness for purposes of establishing presumptive service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder and remanded his claim for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided.

The Veteran is not entitled to a TDIU prior to July 30, 2019 due to incomplete employment history and potential misleading evidentiary record. The matter is REMANDED for clarification of the Veteran's employment history and referral to the Director of Compensation Services for an advisory opinion.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal regarding the claim of service connection for Behcet's disease, and this case is dismissed.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for breast cancer on a direct basis instead of the presumptive basis under the PACT Act. The Board has remanded the case to further develop the service connection claim on a direct basis.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection regarding fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of a skin condition on the Veteran's right upper extremity. The Veteran was seen for skin conditions during service, and there are indications of residuals following an excision procedure in 2011. A VA examination is needed to determine if any current skin conditions are related to service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a TDIU is denied. The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) has ordered the Board to remand the case due to VA not having obtained private treatment records from his neurologist as requested by the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for depressive neurosis, finding that his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to February 28, 2018, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's claim for NSC pension from April 1, 2012 was denied as he did not provide sufficient income information to qualify.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer, finding that there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents and insufficient medical evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA opinions and missing private medical records. The Veteran's eye disability, including pterygium, and loss of teeth need further evaluation by VA medical professionals.

The Veteran's skin disability, diagnosed as dermatophytosis, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating of 30 percent from February 28, 2014, to May 9, 2023.