Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected inguinal hernia repair is rated at a 10 percent disability level, effective from the date of this decision. The claim for ingrown hairs as a residual of the inguinal hernia repair is also granted.

The Veteran's spouse, S., was removed from his VA disability compensation award due to a divorce. The Board finds an error in the AOJ not verifying the status of their marriage and remands for further action.

The Board denied service connection for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) as there is no evidence that the condition began during active service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran's BPH was not found to be linked to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for hemicrania continua is being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. Additionally, the need for treatment records related to Bell's Palsy and residuals is noted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for pension benefits with aid and attendance was denied as there was no evidence of a prior intent to file the claim before May 23, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), originally claimed as a dental condition to include bruxism and jaw pain, was granted with an effective date of March 23, 2022. The decision is based on the merits of her case.

The Veteran's request for a waiver of recovery of an overpayment of VA pension benefits was deemed timely filed. However, the appeal is remanded to consider the merits of his claim on financial hardship and other arguments.

The Board has determined that a notification letter was not provided to the Veteran and his caregiver regarding their eligibility for VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) benefits. The decision is being remanded to ensure proper notice is given.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to August 19, 2020, for a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is denied as there was no pending claim at the time of the August 19, 2020 intent to file that could have attached to a TDIU claim.

The Board dismissed the appeals for non-VA medical services provided by five different doctors from November 19 to November 24, 2020. The Veteran was in receipt of the benefit sought on appeal and therefore the issues are considered moot.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no competent evidence to establish a diagnosis and relate the disability to any injury or event in service.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance has been granted, and the issue is dismissed as moot.

The Board found that the reduction in disability rating for dry eye syndrome with recurrent right eye corneal erosion and bilateral pinguecula from 50% to 10% was proper. The claim for restoration of the 50% rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's antiphospholipid antibody syndrome should be rated by analogy to an analogous condition in the rating schedule, and any manifestations or complications of the disability. The Veteran was not provided with a comprehensive examination addressing her entire disability picture, so the case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his TDIU, as it is not warranted by law.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity, right upper extremity, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity nerve pain disabilities as secondary to his service-connected cervical neck sprain and lumbar back sprain. The evidence did not establish a current disability of any of these conditions.

The Board dismissed the appeal as the DIC benefits were reinstated in June 2023, and there are no allegations of errors for appellate review.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, and will need further development including obtaining an addendum opinion from a clinician.

The Veteran's left-hand and right-hand disabilities are denied as service connection is not established.,The Veteran's memory-loss disability, claimed as due to Gulf War exposure, is remanded for further development.,Service connection for the left- and right-hand disabilities remains denied.

The Veteran's Raynaud's syndrome is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted due to lack of two or more digital ulcers.