The veteran's claim for special monthly pension by reason of being in need of the regular aid and attendance of another person was denied as he does not meet the legal requirements to receive such benefits based on his multiple disabilities.
The deciding factor: The veteran's disabilities do not require him to be in need of regular aid and attendance due to functional impairment, despite having several chronic conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disease with congestive heart failure and hypertension, degenerative joint disease in the lumbar spine, obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease in the cervical spine, residuals of a left shoulder injury, residuals of a right shoulder injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2002
- Citation
- 0215989
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 0215989.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches with an initial rating of 50 percent effective from August 10, 2022, and denied the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, kidney disability, low back disability, and erectile dysfunction.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
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