The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses is denied because he has Medicare coverage, which precludes VA from paying the expenses. The service-connected conditions (tinnitus and hearing loss) do not hold aggravating effect on the gastroenterological condition that warranted the double-balloon enteroscopy.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had Medicare coverage at the time of the unauthorized medical expense incurred, which is a disqualifying factor under 38 C.F.R. § 17.1002.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 20, 2011
- Citation
- 1119621
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 1119621.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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