Other conditions decisions — 2026

The appeal for service connection of rectal cancer, which required a colostomy after surgery, has been dismissed due to the appellant's death during the appeal process.

The Board has identified a duty-to-assist error and remanded the case to obtain a legally adequate medical decision regarding eligibility for PCAFC benefits, specifically focusing on whether the Veteran requires personal care services and supervision.

The Board has determined that the appellants' applications for enrollment in the legacy PCAFC were prematurely concluded and remanded to correct pre-decisional duty to assist omissions, including obtaining private healthcare records and providing an adequate assessment of the Veteran's need for personal care services.

The Veteran seeks full entitlement to beneficiary travel benefits for the episode of care provided on December 19, 2021. The Board finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error as it failed to fully inform or provide the Veteran with details of the evidence relied on to reach its conclusion and a remand is necessary.

The Veteran's application for benefits under the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) was denied because the necessary evaluations, trainings, and assessments were not completed within 90 days due to unsuccessful attempts to contact the Veteran and caregiver.

The Board has determined that the December 2024 rating decision is the current decision on appeal and has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from the Atlanta VAMC and scheduling a VA examination to address the Veteran's claimed undiagnosed illness.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inextricably intertwined issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The discontinuance of SMC at the housebound rate effective from June 3, 2020 to September 19, 2021 is also under review.

The appeal for continuing eligibility in the PCAFC program has been dismissed as the extension of legacy participants' eligibility is still valid.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck muscle strain is related to her military service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for iron deficiency anemia was denied as the medical evidence did not show that she required IV iron infusions four or more times per twelve-month period.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder prior to June 3, 2016. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for vitamin D deficiency, finding no evidence of a current disability linked to service or any other basis for establishing service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a left foot disorder and remanded the increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evaluation of a 1990 report by Zumwalt, which suggests a possible link between herbicide exposure and colon cancer. The Veteran's claim for service connection for his diagnosed colon cancer is now pending again.

The Board denied service connection for a prostate condition, finding that the Veteran's condition is not related to his military service and specifically noting it was not caused by herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for gastritis and service connection for gastric polyps has been granted. The Veteran is now rated at a 40 percent disability rating for gastritis, effective from June 23, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant's mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, her father did not serve in the Korean DMZ during the relevant period, and there was no evidence that his service caused her to be born with spina bifida.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected atrial fibrillation did not result in his inability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to July 10, 2019.