Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error regarding eligibility for Chapter 1606 benefits. The RO needs to obtain updated personnel records and request a notice of entitlement from the Department of Defense.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 1, 2020, for a 10 percent rating for his crush injury, left third toe with ecchymosis and hammertoe deformity is granted.

The Veteran's daughter submitted a claim for nonservice-connected burial benefits, but the claim was denied because it was not filed within two years of her father's death. The Board found that the appellant did not meet the legal requirements for these benefits.

The Veteran's paranoid personality disorder is rated at 100 percent disabling, the maximum rating allowed under VA guidelines.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of ambulance transportation services provided on February 2, 2024, should be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ must obtain and associate all pertinent documents related to the claim with the electronic claims file.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for genital herpes, finding that her current diagnosis is due to an in-service infection from her then-husband and a prior C-section required due to an active outbreak of herpes.

The Board dismissed the appeal because it does not have authority to decide the case, as it is a VCCP matter subject to VA clinical appeals process.

The Board dismissed the appeal as it does not have jurisdiction to decide this matter, which concerns a VA decision on whether to authorize payment for non-VA health care under the VCCP.

The Veteran's appeal to the Board was received more than one year following the May 2021 AOJ decision. The issue of eligibility for benefits under PCAFC is remanded due to errors in notice and duty to assist.

Your appeals for payment of non-VA home health aide services from November and December 2020 have been resolved by administrative action. The appeal is dismissed as moot.

The appeal to reduce the rating for panic disorder from 70% to 50% is dismissed because it was not a final decision by VA.

The Veteran's right knee instability is rated at 20 percent, and separate ratings of 10 percent are granted for symptomatic semilunar cartilage removal and noncompensable limitation of motion. The claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Board denied the claim for payment of non-VA medical services provided by Lahey Clinic, Inc. on January 28, 2021 due to the untimely submission of claims and lack of evidence supporting an earlier submission.

The Board has determined that the reductions in ratings for right and left forearm strain from 10% to noncompensable (0%) were improper due to a failure to follow procedural requirements, and therefore restored the original 10% ratings.

Your appeals for payment of non-VA medical care provided on July 17, 2020 and July 21, 2020 have been resolved in full by administrative action. The appeals are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory disabilities, specifically bacterial pneumonia. Service connection for interstitial lung disease is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for higher SMC and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sexual disorder, to include other specified sexual dysfunction, as secondary to her service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The decision is based on evidence showing a positive nexus between the Veteran's sexual disorder and her PTSD.

The Veteran's death precludes eligibility for PCAFC benefits, as the program requires ongoing caregiver services and assessments. The Board denied the appeal due to the unavailability of required care.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error before the April 2022 rating decision. The Veteran's bilateral elbow disorder is not linked to service, and a medical opinion is needed to clarify its etiology.