The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center were not reimbursable due to the availability of a VA facility, and the veteran did not meet all criteria for reimbursement under applicable laws.
The deciding factor: No feasible VA or Federal facilities were available and using them beforehand would have been reasonable given the location of the nearest VA medical center (Boise VAMC) and the veteran's proximity to it.
- Claimed conditions
- psychosis, fracture of the cervical neck of the right humerus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, new-onset non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, schizophrenia, right knee pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2006
- Citation
- 0638976
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 0638976.
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 scarring, right orchiopexy and remanded the claim of asbestos exposure residuals. Other claims for service connection were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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.