Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for temporary total evaluations under 38 C.F.R. § 4.29 and § 4.30 for pterygium, left eye, are denied as the evidence does not support a finding that he required hospital treatment or observation in excess of 21 days or necessitated convalescence.

The Veteran's service is not considered active duty due to the short duration of his military service. As a result, he does not meet the eligibility criteria for non-service-connected pension benefits.

The Veteran's disability of the hands is manifested by subjective complaints of pain, with occasional incapacitating exacerbations including weakness, pain and increased fatigability and hand cramps, but no evidence of limited motion in either hand. The criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent disabling have not been met.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a bilateral leg rash and bilateral toenail disorder due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran died from intracranial hemorrhage and there is no evidence of service connection for his death. The claim for burial benefits was denied as the Veteran did not die while in a VA facility or under proper authorization.

The Board has remanded the case due to an allegation of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a previous rating decision, which denied service connection for a gynecological disability. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim is now pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and providing a supplemental opinion from the examiner who conducted his December 2009 VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a TDIU is dismissed as there is no such claim.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his entitlement to basic eligibility for improved pension benefits, finding that new and material evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's residuals of pilonidal cyst removal, to include scar, are currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an extension of her delimiting date for Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under Chapter 35, Title 38 of the United States Code due to lack of evidence showing she was prevented from initiating or completing her chosen program of education during her eligibility period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his service participation in the Loan Repayment Program (LRP). The RO will obtain certification from the appropriate service department on whether the Veteran participated in LRP and, if so, the length of his period of service counted for purposes of LRP. Additionally, all service personnel records, including an enlistment contract, should be obtained.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Wesley Medical Center on December 2, 2011 is granted as the emergency treatment was provided in a hospital emergency department and it was reasonable for the Veteran to seek immediate medical attention due to his doctor's instructions.

The Veteran's service-connected right hip disability was granted a rating of 20 percent effective August 10, 2012. The claim for higher ratings prior to that date is denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for post-operative congenital left ureteropelvic junction obstruction with recurrent left pyelonephritis. The Veteran's STRs did not show aggravation by service, nor did they indicate a superimposed disease or injury in service.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at non-VA facilities is denied as he did not meet the requirement of having received VA medical services within 24 months preceding his private emergency treatment.

The Veteran's bilateral pes cavus deformity with hallux valgus and bunion formation was manifested by pain, hammer toes of toes two through five, mild calluses, moderate pes cavus, metatarsalgia, and shortened plantar fascia prior to February 12, 2013. On and after February 12, 2013, the Veteran's bilateral pes cavus deformity with hallux valgus and bunion formation was manifested by marked contraction of the plantar fascia, dropped forefoot, hammer toes of toes two through five, and very painful callosities.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the Indian River Medical Center from February 10, 2011, through February 15, 2011 were denied because VA did not receive the bill and private medical records relating to such care within 90 days of the treatment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability.