The Board denied a claim that the premium paid by the surviving spouse for burial insurance should have been excluded from her monthly rate of improved death pension, as such premiums are not deductible medical expenses.
The deciding factor: The regulations do not allow deductions for burial insurance premiums, and the VA Manual M 21-1 specifically states that burial insurance premiums are not allowable medical expense deductions.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2001
- Citation
- 0111004
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 0111004.
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.