The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for emergency treatment at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital on March 31, 2018 are approved because his condition was emergent and VA facilities were not feasibly available.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's severe symptoms of shortness of breath and acute heart failure made it reasonable to seek immediate medical attention at a private hospital.
- Claimed conditions
- shortness of breath, acute onset chronic congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19185218
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a chronic undiagnosed illness manifested by bilateral leg pain, bilateral hand tremors, sinus problems, shortness of breath and recurrent transient ear noise due to Gulf War service. Service connection was denied for CFS.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple conditions due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions considering all toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs) under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2022.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, a skin rash, and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, shortness of breath, PTSD, OSA, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, knee disabilities, CPS, and earlier effective dates.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of January 19, 2021, for the award of service connection for shortness of breath.
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