The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred during his hospitalizations at St. Cloud Hospital from December 27, 2010 through January 5, 2011 and from January 12, 2011 through January 18, 2011 are now covered by VA.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hospitalizations were for nonservice-connected heart attack and stroke, which do not qualify for service connection under the applicable laws and regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Attack, Stroke
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19120833
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19120833.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that remand is required for several issues, including service connection for stroke and memory loss, as well as an increased rating for PTSD. The AOJ must verify the Veteran's claimed in-service exposures, obtain all relevant treatment records, and provide a medical nexus opinion regarding the nature of his disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran does not require personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months due to his ability to perform activities of daily living independently and manage his health without assistance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's hypertension is presumed based on exposure under the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA needs to obtain a more detailed and thoroughly explained medical opinion regarding the Veteran's need for personal care services.
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