The Veteran died due to adult failure to thrive and was buried in a National cemetery. The appellant applied for nonservice-connected burial benefits, but the claim is denied as none of the alternate criteria for payment of such benefits are met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had no service-connected disabilities at the time of her death, did not have an open compensation or pension claim pending, and died outside a VA facility. The appellant's contention that she received home care from Emerald Coast Hospice under fee basis is not sufficient to meet the criteria for payment of nonservice-connected burial benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- Adult Failure to Thrive
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 11, 2014
- Citation
- 1435684
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 1435684.
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 Veteran's cause of death was listed as end stage Parkinson's Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, and Adult Failure to Thrive. The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.,The Veteran did not serve during a period of war, so he does not meet the service requirements for award of VA pension benefits. Therefore, entitlement to special monthly pension for the Veteran based upon need for aid and attendance or on the basis of housebound is denied.,The surviving spouse was noted by a provider to be able to accomplish her activities of daily living without assistance and could leave her home whenever necessary. She does not meet the criteria for death pension benefits based upon the need for aid and attendance or on account of being housebound.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and for further development regarding service connection for cause of death and SMC for accrued benefits purposes. The appellant is seeking service connection for the Veteran's death, which may be related to his service-connected disabilities, and a higher level of Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for their helpless child.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.