The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred in February 2002 were not reimbursable as the treatment was not for a service-connected disability and VA did not provide prior authorization.
The deciding factor: VA did not obtain prior authorization for the non-VA medical care provided to the veteran due to an urgent condition that was not considered a medical emergency.
- Claimed conditions
- Cholecystitis, Umbilical hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2005
- Citation
- 0505047
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 0505047.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a separate grant of service connection for GERD, as a residual of her cholecystectomy, is granted effective May 19, 2024. The claims for increased ratings for cholecystectomy residuals and esophageal spasms are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis with pancreatic insufficiency and gastroesophageal reflux disease, including gallbladder issues, has been granted a 100% rating effective November 19, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD, but denied compensable ratings for umbilical hernia, nephrolithiasis, and dermatitis.
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