The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred on September 11, 2011, is denied as the treatment was not for a service-connected disability and VA facilities were feasibly available.
The deciding factor: VA facilities in Gainesville, Florida, and Valdosta, Georgia, are open 24/7 for urgent and emergent care, and no attempt to use them beforehand or obtain prior authorization was made.
- Claimed conditions
- malaise
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 4, 2016
- Citation
- 1631031
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 1631031.
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 service connection claims for various conditions, including IBS, subcutaneous cell carcinoma, colon cancer, testicular cancer and removal, esophageal disability, peripheral neuropathy, CFS, malaise, and PTSD were denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed disabilities and service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased rating of migraines and service connection for hypertension and malaise due to untimeliness. The appeal for service connection for sinusitis was denied as there is no current diagnosis, while the appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was granted as it began during active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's fatigue and malaise are being remanded for further evaluation to determine if they are secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and depression.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of appendix removal, gall bladder removal, vision disorder, body sweats, hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, tinnitus, colon cancer (also claimed as partial colon/intestinal removal), testicular cancer and removal, Barrett's esophagus, right foot peripheral neuropathy, left foot peripheral neuropathy, right hand peripheral neuropathy, left hand peripheral neuropathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, right knee disability, left knee disability, hepatitis C, malaise, neck surgery broken vertebra, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, subcutaneous cell carcinoma, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been withdrawn. The remaining issues of service connection for hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, and tinnitus are REMANDED.
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.