The veteran seeks reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred as a result of emergency room treatment at Sonora Regional Medical Center on January 23, 2005. The VA Health Care System in Palo Alto denied the claim because it was determined that the veteran could have sought VA care.
The deciding factor: VA facilities were feasibly available and an attempt to use such facilities would not have been considered unreasonable based on the review of the veteran's file.
- Claimed conditions
- cat bite cellulitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2008
- Citation
- 0808505
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 0808505.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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