The Veteran's claim for payment of private medical expenses incurred on May 4, 2016, is denied as the treatment was not related to a service-connected disability and there were no emergency conditions that would have made immediate care necessary.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not meet the criteria for reimbursement under 38 U.S.C. § 1728 or 38 C.F.R. § 17.1002, as his condition was not an emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.
- Claimed conditions
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19130872
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for a right eyebrow scar and service connection for right eye trauma/nerve damage. The Veteran's scars did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and his trigeminal neuralgia was found less likely than not related to his in-service injury.
- Granted
The Board has granted the veteran's claim, finding new and material evidence to reopen his claim for compensation benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for trigeminal neuralgia as a result of VA surgical treatment in November 1978.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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