The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses and ambulance services incurred during a non-VA hospitalization on August 2, 2014 for a Xanax overdose related to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse are granted. The Board found that the private hospitalization was in an emergency situation where delay would have been hazardous to life or health.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's condition of PTSD with alcohol abuse necessitated immediate medical attention, and the ambulance transport and subsequent hospitalization were deemed necessary due to the severity of his overdose.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with alcohol abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- July 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18116362
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 18116362.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol abuse is rated at 70 percent, which reflects the severity of his symptoms causing occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is found to be the result of obesity caused by her service-connected PTSD, with alcohol abuse. The Board granted service connection for OSA as secondary to service-connected PTSD, with alcohol abuse.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as the evidence did not support a finding that his service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse caused or contributed to his death.
- Granted
The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD with alcohol abuse and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.
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