The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation by reason of being housebound was denied because none of his service-connected disabilities are rated as 100 percent disabling independently, and the threshold schedular requirement for housebound under any theory is not met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a single disability rated at 100% disabling, which is required to qualify for SMC by reason of being housebound.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), right upper extremity neuropathy, residuals of shell fragment wound to the right iliac crest, left upper extremity neuropathy, residuals of a shell fragment wound, benign prostatic hypertrophy, diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, residuals of repair to an injury to the liver, residuals of right lower abdomen scars, scars on the chest wall, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18155705
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 18155705.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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