Other conditions Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for residuals of left inguinal hernia repair and service connection for a low back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical care expenses incurred on August 6, 2010 is denied as the payment under a health care contract precludes reimbursement.

The Board has granted service connection for a left lower extremity deformity and chronic back disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions were aggravated by active duty. The pre-existing conditions existed at entry into service and worsened during service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the appellant is not eligible for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to his service with recognized guerrillas during World War II, which does not qualify him for these benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral temporomandibular joint internal derangement was found to have restricted inter-incisal range of motion from 40 mm down to 15 mm, warranting a 30 percent rating.,From December 28, 2010 to March 29, 2011, the Veteran's service-connected bilateral temporomandibular joint internal derangement was found to have restricted inter-incisal range of motion to less than 10 mm, warranting a 40 percent rating.,From December 28, 2010 to the present, the Veteran's service-connected bilateral temporomandibular joint internal derangement was found to have restricted inter-incisal range of motion to 20 mm, warranting a 30 percent rating.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for more than one month and twenty-two days of educational assistance benefits under Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) due to a limitation on the total amount of VA education benefits that can be received under two or more programs. The appellant had already used 46 months and 8 days of educational assistance benefits under Chapter 34, leaving him with no additional entitlement.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at SMMC from November 30, 2011 to December 2, 2011 are eligible for reimbursement as the emergency treatment was provided in a hospital emergency department and the claim is timely filed.

The Board granted the appellant's request for a Government-furnished memorial headstone or marker, finding that the Veteran's remains have not been recovered or identified.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertensive cardiovascular disease is being evaluated based on the severity of his condition, with different ratings for different periods. The case has been remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing.

The appellant does not have a service-connected condition and did not serve at least 90 days during a period of war, thus he is ineligible for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical services provided by Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center on May 21, 2012 is granted as the criteria under the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act are met.

The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as the appellant did not provide sufficient evidence to establish that her husband had a service-connected condition that contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claim for payment of medical care expenses at Providence Medford Medical Center and PMG South Medford Family Practice Clinic on August 16, 2011 is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's metastatic cancer of the neck and head with an unknown primary site was not related to his service, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran is seeking reimbursement for medical expenses incurred at Riverside Methodist Hospital. The case has been remanded to obtain additional records, including those from August and September of 2012, which were not previously associated with the claims file.

The Board found that neither the Veteran's fatal metastatic cancer nor his pneumonia was related to his active service or any incident therein, including an apparent episode of in-service malaria with a claimed recurrence in 1978.

The Veteran's throat cancer is not related to his active duty service or asbestos exposure, and the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred in service.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for educational benefits related to a correctional officer training program. The Board denied the claim as VA has already awarded benefits from February 6, 2008 and cannot grant an earlier effective date.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's prostate and urinary tract disorders. The examiner should also address whether any identified disorder is related to service-connected residuals of a pilonidal cystectomy.