Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has determined that medical expenses reported after the death of the widow can be considered in determining eligibility for accrued benefits.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for VA death pension benefits due to her income exceeding the maximum annual rate of improved death pension.

The veteran's service is recognized guerrilla service, and as such, the appellant is not eligible for nonservice-connected death pension benefits due to his qualifying service. The issues of additional burial benefits and accrued benefits on the basis of the veteran's pending claim of entitlement to prisoner of war status are remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's attempt to reopen his claim for service connection for varicose veins, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of left leg edema and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The veteran's service-connected chronic recurrent prostatitis is currently manifested by marked obstructive symptomatology with recurrent urinary tract infections, but not requiring drainage, frequent hospitalization, or continuous intensive management. The claim for an increased evaluation is denied.,The veteran's service-connected chronic pyelonephritis is not currently manifested by albumin and casts, with history of acute nephritis, or compensable hypertension. The claim for a compensable evaluation is denied.,Evidence submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disorder does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that esophageal cancer was not caused by any incident of service and is not a disease associated with exposure to herbicide agents. The claim was denied as there was no evidence showing a direct link between military service and the veteran's cause of death.

The veteran's daughter filed a claim for accrued benefits more than one year after the veteran's death. The Board found that there was no pending claim at the time of the veteran's death and denied the claim.

The veteran's annual income exceeds the maximum pension rate, resulting in denial of nonservice-connected disability pension with aid and attendance.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for development, including providing corrective VCAA notice and readjudicating the claim to reopen for cause of death.

The Board found that the veteran's eye condition, including blepharitis and cataracts, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The claim for PTSD is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the appellant, which relates to whether she should be considered a member of the veteran's household for Chapter 35 benefits. The decision will depend on whether the appellant receives at least half her support from the veteran.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative changes of the thoracic spine warranted a 10 percent disability rating, but not higher. The claim for reopening service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease was granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for additional education benefits under two or more programs due to receiving assistance in excess of 48 months.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) due to a lack of medical support linking his illness to his anthrax vaccinations, despite temporal association and ongoing investigations.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse, finding that she did not meet the legal requirements to be considered a surviving spouse under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right eye disability, manifested by macular scarring from an old choroidal rupture and visual acuity of 20/60 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left, does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's obesity and liver condition are not related to his service-connected disabilities, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an effective date earlier than March 19, 2003 for restoration of parents' dependency and indemnity compensation due to her failure to provide a completed Eligibility Verification Report (EVR) as required by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's diagnosed anxiety disorder to her military service or any incident therein, and therefore denied her claim for service connection.