The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for a right shoulder surgery at Golden Ridge Surgery Center on January 14, 2010 were not reimbursable as the care was not authorized in advance by VA and did not meet the criteria for reimbursement under emergency treatment provisions.
The deciding factor: VA regulations require prior authorization for non-VA medical expenses. The Veteran's appointment at Golden Ridge Surgery Center was unauthorized and did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment or other conditions allowing reimbursement.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2016
- Citation
- 1627615
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 1627615.
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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