The Veteran seeks payment or reimbursement for medical expenses incurred at Health Central Hospital on February 18, 2002. The VAMC denied the claim due to the conclusion that VA facilities were feasibly available to provide the care. However, further investigation is needed regarding which VA facilities were open and available on the date in question, as well as whether an attempt to use them before hand would have been considered reasonable by a prudent layperson.
The deciding factor: The VAMC's decision was based on the assumption that VA facilities were feasibly available. Further investigation is needed to determine which specific VA facilities were open and available on February 18, 2002, and whether an attempt to use them before hand would have been considered reasonable by a prudent layperson.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2009
- Citation
- 0915689
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 0915689.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 100 percent evaluation for acute bronchitis from November 29, 2020, and denied a compensable rating prior to that date. The claim for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was remanded.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal as there was no decision for review regarding reimbursement of non-VA medical expenses incurred on June 7, 2019.
- Denied
The Veteran's acute bronchitis was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. Continuity of symptomatology is not established or is attributable to intercurrent causes. The disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and other respiratory disabilities, including exposure to asbestos in service. The Veteran must be afforded a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his respiratory disabilities.
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