The veteran's claim for reimbursement of non-VA medical expenses incurred in March 2002 was denied because he did not meet the eligibility criteria under VA regulations, specifically failing to show enrollment in the VA health care system within the 24-month period preceding the emergency treatment.
The deciding factor: The veteran failed to provide evidence that he had been enrolled in the VA healthcare system and received VA medical services within the 24 months prior to receiving non-VA emergency treatment for his left hand injury.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2006
- Citation
- 0602527
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0602527.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the character of the Appellant's discharge is a bar to VA benefits, and thus did not address his service connection claims. The case is being remanded for the AOJ to obtain missing records related to the special court-martial and complete a new determination on the character of the discharge.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for left hand injury to obtain additional evidence and a more thorough medical opinion.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's left hand injury, left foot condition, right foot condition, left ankle strain, and right ankle strain. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis or symptoms related to these conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's left hand injury is determined to be a result of his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.