Other conditions decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left eye disability, finding that current vision symptoms are not causally linked to an in-service injury. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for payment or reimbursement of medical services received at Hutchison Healthcare on December 3, 2014 is dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability, including a hospital-acquired infection, is remanded due to an inadequate examination.

The Board remands the claims for a higher disability rating for the service-connected right and left upper extremity neurological disorders to obtain an addendum medical opinion that assesses the current severity of the Veteran's conditions without considering the ameliorative effects of any medications taken.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral restless leg syndrome as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current disability is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion regarding his blood disability and the issues of service connection, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, and SMC.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for amebiasis due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Paget's disease, claimed as due to exposure to ionizing radiation during military service, is remanded. The AOJ needs to obtain additional records and determine if the Veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation in service and whether his Paget's disease resulted from such exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left leg infection residuals, claimed as left leg pain and spasms.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for additional medical opinions to address the nature and etiology of the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant skin neoplasm is being remanded due to an error in docketing under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The issue will be reviewed with new evidence added within a year of the April 2018 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure of duty to assist, specifically regarding the VA examiner's opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis and exposure to burn pits during service in Vietnam. The examiner's conclusion that there is no known association with burn pit exposure was deemed non-probative.

The Veteran's immune thrombocytopenia has been rated as noncompensable since August 19, 2021. The Board found that the disability is fully capable of evaluation under the rating schedule and does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's non-VA healthcare provider received payment for services provided on September 3, 2021. However, the appeal is dismissed because the process for billing and payment within the Veterans Community Care Program does not allow for review by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's claim for recoupment of disability compensation due to fugitive felon status is dismissed as the AOJ granted his request in a November 2022 decision.

The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error in not providing the Veteran with a VA examination for his claimed right and left hand conditions, which occurred prior to the October 2021 rating decision. The Board is therefore remanding these issues.

The Board has determined that the appeal is not ripe for adjudication due to incomplete development and remands the case for further action.

Your annual clothing allowance claim for the year 2020 was denied, but it has since been approved. The appeal is dismissed as moot because the denial was reversed.

The Veteran's left foot arthritis is rated at 20 percent, but no higher. The Veteran's hallux valgus remains at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran was granted eligibility for enrollment in the VA healthcare system due to receiving an early out, which made him eligible based on his active service.