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Denied

The Veteran's surviving spouse died in July 2013, and the Appellant sought reimbursement for medical expenses paid out-of-pocket to her mother during her last sickness. The Board denied accrued benefits because there was no pending claim or unpaid benefits at the time of the surviving spouse's death.

The deciding factor: There was no pending claim or unpaid benefits at the time of the surviving spouse’s death, and thus the Appellant is not entitled to reimbursement for medical expenses paid out-of-pocket.

Claimed conditions
Not specified in this decision
How they argued it
Not specified
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
January 27, 2020
Citation
20006536

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

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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.