The veteran's claim for payment of unauthorized air ambulance expenses incurred on March 4, 1999 was denied because the travel was not authorized in advance and because his transfer to the Albuquerque VA Spinal Cord Injury Center was not undertaken in connection with a medical emergency such that delay to obtain authorization would have been hazardous to the person's life or health.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not meet the criteria for government payment of air ambulance expenses due to excessive income in 1998 and because his transfer to the Albuquerque VA Spinal Cord Injury Center was not undertaken in connection with a medical emergency such that delay to obtain authorization would have been hazardous to the person's life or health.
- Claimed conditions
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2000
- Citation
- 0029568
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0029568.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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