The veteran was hospitalized for respiratory issues and other conditions. The VA doctor found that the hospitalization was not authorized, and a transfer to a nearby VA facility would have been feasible at the time of admission. Therefore, the claim is denied as the preponderance of evidence does not support reimbursement or payment for medical expenses.
The deciding factor: The veteran's treatment was unauthorized and could have been transferred to a nearby VA facility at the outset of his hospitalization.
- Claimed conditions
- Blindness, Friedreich's ataxia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2000
- Citation
- 0004494
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0004494.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the Veteran's blindness, finding that it was a reasonably foreseeable complication of his VA heart surgery. The claim for service connection for peripheral artery disease was remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for revision of a May 1973 rating decision that denied service connection for Friedreich's ataxia on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of December 9, 2019 for the award of special monthly death pension benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance for the surviving spouse. The decision is based on the appellant's intent to file a claim for survivor benefits at that time.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for blindness due to optic neuritis of the right eye, finding that VA did not cause the disability and that there was no evidence of fault on VA's part.
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