The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses for right ankle surgery on August 8, 2006, was denied because the treatment was not emergent and a VA facility was feasibly available.
The deciding factor: VA physicians determined that a VA facility was available to treat the veteran for his right ankle disability at the time of the surgery, making reimbursement or payment unwarranted under applicable statutes.
- Claimed conditions
- right ankle fracture
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2009
- Citation
- 0900632
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,084 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0900632.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance, which grants entitlement to special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation at a housebound rate is moot due to the grant of aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle fracture and post-traumatic arthritis and arthroplasty, effective August 18, 2025. The Board found that the pre-existing condition was aggravated by active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has determined that the VA examination provided was inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right ankle disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC higher than the (l) + (1/2) rate due to lack of anatomical loss or use of extremities, blindness, or permanent bedridden status.
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