The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred from October 30 to November 15, 2003 due to lack of emergency condition and inability to safely transfer to a VA facility.
The deciding factor: The treatment provided was not in response to an ongoing medical emergency that would have been hazardous if delayed, nor did the Veteran meet the criteria for reimbursement under 38 C.F.R. § 17.1002.
- Claimed conditions
- status post open cholecystectomy with wound infection
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2009
- Citation
- 0917158
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 0917158.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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