The veteran's unauthorized private medical treatment on September 1, 1998 for cholestatic hepatitis was related to his service-connected gouty arthritis. The claim is granted as the expenses incurred are covered by VA policy.
The deciding factor: The episode of cholestatic hepatitis was found to be a complication of the veteran's service-connected gout and medications prescribed for it, meeting the criteria for reimbursement under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- cholestatic hepatitis, gouty arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2001
- Citation
- 0118434
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 0118434.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, but remanded claims for gouty arthritis and a right knee disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a rating of 100 percent for gouty arthritis since April 8, 2008, and denied an initial rating in excess of 60 percent prior to that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand several claims related to the Veteran's gouty arthritis of the knees, including increased ratings and SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance. The reasons include obtaining retrospective medical opinions, addressing deficiencies in previous examinations, and reviewing SSA records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran is requesting a revision of the March 28, 2008 rating decision that assigned a noncompensable rating for gouty arthritis due to clear and unmistakable error. The RO has not addressed this issue yet.
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