Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has remanded the appeal for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and considering whether referral for extraschedular ratings is warranted. The issues on appeal include increased ratings for hallux rigidus of both great toes and a temporary total disability rating based on convalescence.

The Board denied service connection for prostate enlargement and bladder impairment, finding no evidence of a direct relationship to service or any other basis for establishing service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the appellant's standing as a creditor and her ability to provide itemized statements for the credit card debts incurred by the Veteran.

The Board has decided that the claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lutz, Florida is remanded due to incomplete development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left thumb disorder, finding that there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service and no competent medical opinion linking his current condition to service.

The Board has remanded the claim for a skin disability due to herbicide agent exposure, as it was not fully developed in the previous remand.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Orthopedics of Jackson Hole on January 17, 2017, and February 21, 2017 is denied. The issue of payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred during non-VA medical services at Orthopedics of Jackson Hole on April 4, 2017 has not been addressed in the Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Veteran's service-connected cold injury disabilities to his hands and feet are currently rated at 20 percent each, but the Board finds no higher rating is warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 19, 2014, for his non-service-connected pension benefits. The decision stated that the Veteran did not file a formal application within one year after submitting an informal claim in August 2012.

The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be due to atherosclerotic vascular disease, which is service-connected. The Board found that this condition contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death and granted service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Cumberland Medical Center on February 9, 2008 due to lack of authorization and because there was no emergency condition requiring immediate treatment.

The Veteran's Graves' disease and Bell's palsy are currently rated as non-compensable. The Board finds that the current evaluations do not reflect the severity of her disabilities, and thus remands for further development to determine their current nature and severity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to gather more recent medical records as the most recent VA treatment notes are dated in September 2012.

The Veteran's perirectal abscess with retained rectal fistula disability has been rated at 10 percent throughout the period on appeal, as it manifests with constant slight or occasional moderate leakage.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation at the intermediate rate between SMC-M and SMC-N with an additional single rating under SMC-K for loss of use of both hands, upper extremities, one foot (due to Skull Loss), and three lower extremities due to service-connected disabilities. The appeal was remanded for further development regarding need for higher level care.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the Veteran's unspecified neurocognitive disorder had its onset in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for astigmatism as there is no evidence of a superimposed disease or injury in service that created an additional disability.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.

The Veteran's mild scoliosis with musculoskeletal strain disability is manifested by range of motion of forward flexion to no less than 90 degrees and a combined range of motion greater than 120 degrees, without muscle spasm or guarding; abnormal gait; or additional loss of function on repetition due to pain, weakness, fatigability, or lack of endurance. The Veteran's disability is rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ulcerative colitis, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service or Gulf War exposure. The Board also noted that ulcerative colitis is not considered a presumptive disease under VA regulations.