Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has determined that the eligibility decision for participation in VA's PCAFC program is legally inadequate and requires further review. The Veteran was found not to meet the basic medical eligibility criteria under PCAFC, but the reasons provided by the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) are unclear and unexplained.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion and a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran's claim for service connection for uterine prolapse is being reviewed again.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has not been submitted to readjudicate the claim of entitlement to service connection for an eye disability, thus denying the appeal.

The Board has granted a separate, 10 percent rating for right lower extremity posterior nerve dysfunction associated with service-connected tarsal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran's symptoms were moderate and did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The appeal seeking payment or reimbursement for the cost of medical services performed on July 28, 2020 by Aegis Sciences Corporation is dismissed as the benefit has been approved.

The Board has determined that the appellant requires regular aid and attendance due to her mental and physical disabilities, including dementia, vision loss from macular degeneration, arthritis, and weakness in upper arms. The decision grants an increased rate of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on this need.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is denied because the appellant was legally divorced from the Veteran at the time of his death, and there is no evidence that she lived with him continuously until his death.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as it does not have jurisdiction to review the contractual payment rate for medical services provided under a Veterans Care Agreement (VCA).

The Veteran's other specified trauma and stressor related disorder is rated at a 50 percent disability rating, effective from January 14, 2021.

The Board has remanded the claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU and Dependent's Educational Assistance due to conflicting statements regarding when the Veteran last worked on a full-time basis.

The Board has remanded the eligibility for benefits under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) due to errors in medical opinions and insufficient notice. The claim will be reviewed based on the correct statutory criteria for 'need for supervision, protection or instruction' and proper notification will be provided.

The Veteran's countable income was found to be $0.00, which did not exceed the applicable maximum annual pension rate (MAPR). Therefore, she is entitled to payment of nonservice-connected pension benefits with special monthly pension at the maximum annual pension rate.

The Board denied service connection for BPH, finding that the Veteran's condition is not one of the listed presumptive diseases associated with herbicide exposure / Agent Orange. The evidence was approximately balanced on whether the Veteran's asthma first manifested during service or developed over time as a result of his presumed in-service exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right hip bursitis (flexion), right hip bursitis (extension), left hip bursitis (flexion), right hip bursitis (abduction), and left hip bursitis (extension) due to a duty to assist error in the July 2020 VA examination report.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for liver cancer and compensation under 38 C.F.R. 1151 for vocal cord damage were denied due to lack of new and relevant evidence.,The reduction in rating from 10 percent to 0 percent for second toe right foot amputation was proper, but the effective date was not backdated.

The appeal for payment or reimbursement of non-VA medical treatment services provided by the appellant from March 8 through March 31, 2020 was dismissed as the requested payment has been approved.

The Veteran's claim for additional dependency compensation for his child, P.T., born on March [REDACTED], 2020, is granted effective January 6, 2022. The Board found that the earliest date VA received notice of the child's existence was January 6, 2022.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring an opinion on whether MDS is related to service and exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the addition of his spouse to his VA compensation award as a dependent was denied because the first notice of their marriage and subsequent claim for dependency compensation was received more than a year after the marriage, which is the earliest possible effective date allowed by law.

The Veteran's burial was in a national cemetery, but he did not have any service-connected disabilities at the time of his death. Therefore, reimbursement for transportation expenses is denied.