The Board denied the Veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at non-VA facilities on October 3, 2013, and October 13, 2013. The claim for October 15, 2013, treatment was also denied as a VA facility was feasibly available.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for payment of unauthorized medical expenses due to lack of authorization and because a VA facility was feasibly available for treatment in all cases.
- Claimed conditions
- abcess
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18161143
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18161143.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's post-surgical wound infection, abcess, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are found to be a result of VA medical treatment. The Board finds that the proximate cause was not due to VA fault or an unforeseen event.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred during a non-VA hospitalization on February 24, 2012 was denied because the care provided was not in response to an emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses as the services were not deemed necessary due to a prudent layperson's expectation that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would not have been hazardous.
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