Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and secondary service connection for a bilateral eye disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current eye disabilities to his period of active service or diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses at Harrison Medical Center on June 29, 2014 is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence from the Veteran regarding his insurance coverage and unreimbursed medical expenses.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and neck is related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obesity, finding that it is not a disability for VA purposes and thus cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right and left lower extremity paresthesia, weakness and ataxia due to new evidence not previously considered.

The Veteran's request for a waiver of overpayment of education benefits under the VR&E program was denied as recovery would not be against the principles of equity and good conscience.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The groin disability claim is reopened, but a VA examination is needed to determine if it is related to service. An increased rating for the left great toe fracture is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses at Boes Eye Care was denied as there was no prior authorization from VA, and the treatment did not meet the criteria under 38 U.S.C. § 1725 or 38 U.S.C. § 1728.

The appeal for service connection for left and right clavus foot has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and evaluation due to inconsistencies in the neurological assessment results and the need for a more detailed examination of the Veteran's service-connected right leg disability.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no final decision can be made.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's left foot condition, which is rated at 10 percent, does not warrant a higher rating due to mild chronic pain and intermittent swelling. For his right elbow conditions, he received compensable ratings but no higher.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral heel disability as secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability. The evidence is approximately balanced as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral heel disability was caused by his May 2014 surgery on his service-connected cervical spine disability and recovery.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical records, particularly those from May 2010 when the Veteran underwent several procedures. The appeal will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error regarding treatment records from Prestonsburg CBOC for the years 1992-1998. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and no jurisdiction remains for the Board to adjudicate the merits of the case.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding the withholding of service-connected compensation benefits for drill pay days from fiscal years 2015 and 2016.

The Board has remanded the case for a decision on whether the overpayment debt was properly created and for consideration of the Veteran's waiver request. The creation issue is related to when the debt was formed, while the waiver request concerns whether it was timely submitted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete VA opinions regarding the onset and relationship of pancreatitis to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for frequent fevers, chills, and sweat, as well as recurrent tonsillitis and pharyngitis, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran was also denied service connection for recurrent tonsillitis and pharyngitis. The Board concluded that there is no current or recent history of chronic tonsillitis or pharyngitis.