Other conditions Board decisions

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development regarding his claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a private facility from February 17, 2003 to February 19, 2003.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left eye condition, parafoveal retinal pigment epithelial changes (hypertrophy), is service-connected.,The Board also found that a timely substantive appeal was not submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a left leg disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to unclear eligibility for VA educational assistance benefits under Chapter 1606, as the appellant's re-enlistment in the Selected Reserves on February 13, 2002 is not fully verified and her current Reserve duty status needs clarification.

The veteran's service-connected gunshot wound to the right buttock and tender scarring of the left calf are rated at their maximum levels, with no further increase in evaluation possible.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by his service-connected psychiatric disorder, specifically due to medication used for PTSD. The medical evidence shows dysphagia as a main contributing factor to aspiration pneumonia and eventual death.

The VA determined that the veteran's right hip disability was not service-connected and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to lack of fault on VA's part.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and retrieval of private treatment records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for pneumothorax and pneumonia, as well as his request for an initial rating of 10 percent for mitral valve prolapse with Barlow's syndrome and secondary angina. The Board found that new evidence did not change the outcome of the previous denial.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cause of death, accrued benefits, and nonservice-connected death pension due to lack of evidence linking his cardiovascular disease to his military service.

The Board granted the veteran's claim for non-service-connected disability pension, assigning an effective date of September 9, 2002. The decision is based on the earliest submission of a formal claim following the previous final denial in November 1996.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of cold injuries to the right and left feet, with initial evaluations of 20 percent each. The effective date remains November 30, 2001.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a gun-shot wound, with fractured left tibia and injury to Muscle Group XII, meet the criteria for a 30 percent evaluation.

The Board determined that the appellant is not a 'veteran' for purposes of entitlement to VA benefits based on his service in the Philippine Commonwealth Army, and therefore denied the claim.

The Board finds that the VA facilities were not feasibly available and an attempt to use them beforehand would not have been considered reasonable by a prudent lay person. Therefore, the veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized in-patient medical service provided by a private hospital is granted.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for basic eligibility to VA benefits due to a lack of service in the U.S. Armed Forces, as certified by the service department.

The veteran's service-connected Hodgkin's disease was rated at 30 percent since October 1967, and the RO found that he is not entitled to VA compensation prior to September 9, 2002.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection of residuals from a gunshot wound. The decision is mixed, as some issues are granted while others are denied.

The veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the timeliness of a notice of disagreement to a February 1999 rating determination. The Board dismissed the appeal as it did not have jurisdiction to review the claim.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected right thumb fracture. The Board has remanded the case to allow for further development, including a VA examination and consideration of new diagnostic criteria.

The veteran's service-connected post-operative residuals of Crohn's disease resulted in a pronounced disability picture, warranting the highest schedular rating of 100 percent.