The Veteran's emergency medical treatment at a private hospital was granted reimbursement because the delay in seeking immediate care would have been hazardous to his health, and the VA facility was not feasibly available.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms were severe enough that a prudent layperson would expect delay in seeking care to be hazardous, and the nearest feasible medical facility was the private hospital where he received treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- Cough, Shortness of breath, Ascites, Bilateral pleural effusions
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18137135
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 18137135.
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 appeal for reimbursement of non-VA medical expenses incurred on August 1, 2014 at Northside Hospital is granted. The Board affords the benefit of doubt to the Veteran and finds that VA facilities were not feasibly available.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, residuals of a right foot injury, sinusitis, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for presumptive service connection for hypertension is granted, while the claims for service connection for a cardiovascular disease and shortness of breath are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence to support a diagnosis or onset of the claimed conditions during active duty.
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.