The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Englewood Community Hospital on December 11, 2013 is denied as the treatment did not constitute a medical emergency and a VA facility was feasibly available.
The deciding factor: The treatment provided did not meet the criteria for a medical emergency (i.e., a medical emergency of such nature that delay would have been hazardous to life or health) and a VA facility was feasibly available to the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), residual facial scars, traumatic arthritis of the right lower extremity, hepatitis C, bilateral hearing loss, limited motion of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2018
- Citation
- 1824705
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 1824705.
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 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 case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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