The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound is denied as he does not meet the criteria for either benefit.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has multiple nonservice-connected disabilities but does not have a single disability rated at 100% disabling, nor does he have two separate disabilities independently ratable at 60% or more. Additionally, his disabilities do not result in him being housebound or needing regular aid and attendance.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome, degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff tear of the right shoulder, rotator cuff tear of the left shoulder, anal fissures, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), benign prostatic hypertrophy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2009
- Citation
- 0939924
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 0939924.
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.
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The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's rating for his right elbow condition from 10 percent to 20 percent effective May 5, 2025, finding that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether there had been improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 13, 2020 for the service connection of low back disability and related radiculopathy issues. The Veteran's claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted in January 2020.
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