Other conditions decisions — 2024

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the VHA has already authorized and paid for the non-VA dental services provided on February 20, 2020.

Your appeal for service connection for left eye injury with vision loss has been dismissed due to the Veteran's passing. The Board cannot issue a decision on this claim as it is no longer pending.

The Veteran's right thumb disability, characterized by arthritis with painful limited motion but not limitation of motion with a gap greater than two inches between the thumb pad and fingers, was rated at 10 percent. The Board denied an increased rating as the current level of disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his right-hand condition was denied. The Board found that the current noncompensable rating adequately reflected the Veteran's symptoms and disability level. For TDIU and DEA, the effective dates were granted as of July 19, 2019, based on the evidence showing the Veteran became unable to work due to his service-connected disabilities since at least October 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to an overpayment of $58,858.87 in DIC benefits and requires a detailed audit to determine the validity of this amount.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for herpes simplex is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The VA needs to schedule the Veteran for an appropriate examination to determine if he has a current diagnosis of herpes simplex and whether it is at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to address the relationship between the Veteran's left elbow disability and his service, as there was a duty to assist error in prior decisions.

The appeal for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death was dismissed as the claimant did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement within one year of receiving the November 5, 2020 decision.

The appeal concerning the payment of non-VA emergency medical services provided on July 23, 2020, is dismissed as the claim was administratively approved by VA.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of non-VA dental care at South Florida Oral and Maxiofacial Surgery on December 27, 2019 was dismissed as the VA has already paid/reimbursed the provider.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as there is no longer a case or controversy for decision due to VHA overturning its initial denial and approving the non-VA care provided by AKHC on October 9, 2020.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a condition manifesting in lower abdominal pain, pelvic pain, and testicle pain and swelling is remanded due to the need for new evidence and an examination.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection and a total disability rating for loss of use of bilateral hands is denied. The earliest received date was September 10, 2020.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits need further development due to missing Social Security Administration disability records. These matters are being remanded.

Your appeals for payment or reimbursement of non-VA medical services provided on October 28, 2020, and November 6, 2020, have been dismissed as the benefits sought have already been granted.

The Veteran's claim for payment of non-VA medical expenses incurred at Baptist Health in Paducah, Kentucky, during January 13 through January 14, 2020 is being remanded due to deficiencies in the May 2020 denial letter. The AOJ must provide complete notice as required by law and identify which statutory provision was evaluated under.

The Board dismissed the appeal regarding whether the Veteran is competent to handle disbursement of VA funds as he was found competent in a previous rating decision.

The Veteran's pension rate of $911.00, effective December 1, 2019, was improperly calculated due to an error in the source and calculation of his income.

The Board has determined that the VA examination opinions are inadequate and remands the case for further clarification regarding the Veteran's skin conditions, including basal cell carcinomas of skin and actinic keratosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ventral hernia, finding that there is not a causal relationship between his current condition and his in-service exposure to asbestos. The most probative evidence of record does not support the claim.