The Board denied payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Lee Memorial Health System on June 24, 2016 due to lack of pre-authorization and failure to meet the criteria for emergency treatment under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's condition was not an emergency requiring immediate medical attention as there were no acute symptoms that would have placed his health in serious jeopardy. The evidence showed he had been treated by VA before, and the Board found the pre-existing conditions did not warrant reimbursement.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the knees and hips, greater trochanteric bursitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19153274
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 19153274.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection of left foot disability, fibromyalgia, and lumbar spine disability have been denied. Her bilateral hip disabilities (based on limitation of extension) are currently rated at 10 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disability, to include greater trochanteric bursitis, and as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities is being remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the claimed condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's appeal of the claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bone island and pain, right hip is dismissed. The Board grants service connection for a right hip disorder manifested by early degenerative joint disease or greater trochanteric bursitis as secondary to service-connected right Achilles tenoplasty.
- Denied
The Veteran's residuals of a right hip injury have not met the criteria for an initial evaluation greater than 10 percent since August 30, 2004.
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