The Board has determined that the Veteran's emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy on January 12, 2016 was necessary due to an emergent nature of his symptoms and that a VA facility was not feasibly available at the time. Therefore, payment or reimbursement for the medical services provided by MLAC is granted.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the emergency treatment was needed due to the Veteran's urgent condition with severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which would have been hazardous if delayed.
- Claimed conditions
- abdominal pain, cholecystectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19127375
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (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 19127375.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were withdrawn, and his claims for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis or other disabling conditions that would warrant higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for urinary frequency, as secondary to hypertension and non-service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The other claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's GERD is rated at a 30 percent rating, but no higher. The claim for TDIU was raised and must be adjudicated again.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current respiratory disability other than sleep apnea. The claims for abdominal pain, type I diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and an immune disorder are remanded due to a duty to assist error.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.