The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a walk-in tub under the HISA program due to lack of medical necessity. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.
The deciding factor: Medical evidence does not support the need for a walk-in tub as it would not be medically necessary to provide access to essential lavatory and sanitary facilities or for the continued treatment of the Veteran's disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease, Pseudophakia, Hypertensive cardiovascular disease with congestive heart failure, Type II diabetes mellitus, Peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18153196
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 18153196.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability and right leg radiculopathy are granted service connection, but left leg radiculopathy is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service at Udorn RTAFB and thus meets the criteria for presumptive service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's low back disability, effective from the date of the August 2013 VA examination. The decision also notes that all reasonable doubt is resolved in favor of the Veteran.
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