The Board denied the veteran's claim for reimbursement or payment of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Lincoln General Hospital from October 30, 1997 to November 3, 1997 due to lack of eligibility under existing laws.
The deciding factor: The care provided was not rendered in a medical emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available. The veteran's service-connected disabilities did not require the need for such care.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, intra-abdominal adhesions and intestinal obstruction with resection of the sigmoid colon, fracture of the proximal phalanx of the left index finger with traumatic arthritis, scars, residuals of shell fragment wounds to the left thigh, left forearm, right middle and lower fingers, and the right side of abdomen and left iliac with injury to Muscle Group XIX
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2002
- Citation
- 0216198
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 0216198.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- 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).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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