Other conditions decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient notice and time provided for the appellant to submit evidence regarding her claim of common law marriage, which is necessary for establishing eligibility for VA benefits.

The Veteran's cause of death, pancreatic cancer, was related to service and the Board granted service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder, is granted as service connected due to in-service exposure.

The Veteran served outside of a period of wartime, and the appellant is not recognized as his surviving spouse for pension purposes. Therefore, the survivor's pension claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise, and thus grants service connection for shaky hands as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's supraventricular arrhythmia is related to his active military service, specifically his time spent in the Gulf War. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the validity of an overpayment of VA compensation benefits. Specifically, the Veteran argues that he should have received retroactive payments for his current spouse being added to his award, and that these payments were not made.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the previous VA examination, and will need to schedule an in-person examination for the Veteran.

The Veteran's dependent child, D.P., elected to receive DEA benefits under Chapter 35, which bars the receipt of dependency allowance based on school attendance. Therefore, the claim for concurrent receipt of dependency allowance and DEA benefits is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for payment or reimbursement of non-VA anesthesia and medical services have been dismissed as the claims were addressed through VA's Community Care program, which does not allow for Board review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's polycythemia vera is caused by in-service exposure to benzene, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected other trauma- and stressor-related disorder is rated at 50 percent, effective from October 23, 2023. The appeal for an increased rating has been granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a compensable rating for service-connected Raynaud's disease.

The Veteran's service connection for acute promyelocytic leukemia on a presumptive basis is granted. However, the claim for service connection on a direct causation basis is remanded due to a failure to provide a TERA examination.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of non-VA emergency room care provided on October 23, 2020 is granted as the criteria for reimbursement under 38 U.S.C. § 1725 are met.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the payment or reimbursement for non-VA medical services provided beginning May 15, 2019. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for Horner's syndrome with ptosis, left side is denied as the evidence does not support impairment of visual acuity or disfigurement due to his service-connected condition.

The Board has restored service connection for the Veteran's left leg injuries, finding that the original decision was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous. The condition is considered secondary to his service-connected shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance was granted effective September 4, 2019. The decision is based on the need for regular aid and assistance due to service-connected disabilities.