The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred from April 18, 2003 to May 7, 2003 was denied because VA facilities were feasibly available and the veteran chose not to use them.
The deciding factor: VA facilities were reasonably feasible and the veteran chose to go to a non-VA facility despite being aware of nearby VA options.
- Claimed conditions
- irritable bowel syndrome, bowel obstruction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2008
- Citation
- 0812499
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a head injury, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, left earache disorder, chronic fatigue, right shoulder disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, right foot disorder, GERD, and left shoulder disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 13, 2024 for a 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and chronic sore throat, dismissed the issue of a sinus condition, and remanded claims for asthma, hypertension, and irritable bowel syndrome.
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