Other conditions decisions — 2024

The Veteran's skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, is remanded for further examination to determine if it was incurred in service due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's cause of death, a myocardial infarction, is found to be related to his service-connected undiagnosed illness manifested by dyspnea and chest pain.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for additional payment of medical services provided by Hope Hospice (HH) to the Veteran from April 1, 2020, through June 10, 2020. The appellant's claims were previously granted and no further action is required.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for vulvovaginitis has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board, requesting a waiver of indebtedness. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has determined that the evidence is insufficient to adjudicate the claim for cause of death due to metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether it was related to service exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's glioblastoma brain cancer, presumed to be caused by his exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam, is found to have contributed to his death. Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board denied service connection for ampullary adenocarcinoma (pancreatic cancer) and denied DIC benefits based on the cause of death. The evidence did not show a link between the pancreatic cancer and service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's death occurred after a decision granting non-service-connected disability pension benefits. The Appellant, as the surviving spouse, is seeking accrued benefits for her husband's liberalizing law period of veteran pension benefits. The Board finds that there was a pending claim at the time of the Veteran's death and remands the case to readjudicate the Appellant's claim for accrued benefits in light of this pending claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a waiver of the recoupment of an overpayment debt in the amount of $15,447.54 due to VA oversight. The decision found that the fault associated with the creation of the overpayment was not against the principles of equity and justice.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for brain cancer has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits due to a failure to perform an initial evaluation as required by VA regulations. The AOJ will need to arrange for an appropriate evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on her employment, including determining if she has an employment handicap or serious employment handicap.

The Board has determined that the termination of the appellant's daughter's VA survivor's pension benefits effective January 1, 2019 was improper due to a lack of proper procedural due process. The decision is granted.

The Board dismissed the appeals of the issues regarding payment of non-VA medical services performed on September 29, October 6, and October 13, 2020. The appellant's claims were not denied by VA but rather instructed to resubmit with all required information.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical services provided on June 29, 2020 due to jurisdictional issues.

The Board found that the reduction of S.T.'s survivor's pension benefits, effective January 1, 2020, was proper based on a change in her countable income from Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits. The appellant did not provide additional information regarding unreimbursed medical expenses.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to warrant readjudicating the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for insomnia is denied. The right ring finger disability is granted a higher rating of 30 percent, while the right third toe disability remains at 10 percent.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the VA approved payment for medical services provided on March 9, 2020.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a skin disability due to the need for an examination and medical opinion.