The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred during his private hospitalization from August 31 to September 5, 1992 are denied as the care or services rendered were not for a medical emergency of such nature that delay would have been hazardous to his life or health.
The deciding factor: VA physicians determined that the veteran's condition was not emergent and could have been safely transferred to a VA facility without undue risk to him, thus not meeting the criteria for payment/reimbursement.
- Claimed conditions
- cauda equina injury with paraparesis of the lower extremities, alcoholic cirrhosis, ascites secondary to cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 30, 2001
- Citation
- 0109664
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 0109664.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to alcoholic cirrhosis, as it was not related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disability existed during service and its relation to current conditions, as well as determining if any psychiatric disorder was a substantial or contributing factor in the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for alcoholic cirrhosis, finding that it is proximately caused by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to new and material evidence. The case is now remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from a specific period and seeking an opinion on whether PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disability existed during service and its relationship to current conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.