The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for emergency care at a private facility were denied as the condition was not an emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.
The deciding factor: The Veteran received non-emergency care in a private ER that was not considered medically necessary due to the availability of VA facilities.
- Claimed conditions
- abdominal pain, constipation, ventral hernia, cholelithiasis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2010
- Citation
- 1007314
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 1007314.
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 multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for inguinal hernia, ventral hernia, and right chipped ankle pain due to predecisional duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (r)(2) level due to his service-connected disabilities requiring a higher level of care.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining outstanding private medical records.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.