The Board denied payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Baylor University Medical Center from February 27, 2013 to March 4, 2013 due to the availability of a VA facility that was feasibly available and an attempt to use it beforehand would have been considered reasonable by a prudent layperson.
The deciding factor: A VA facility with an emergency department was almost precisely as close to the Veteran's home as Baylor University Medical Center, making it feasible for the Veteran to seek care at a VA facility instead of Baylor University Medical Center.
- Claimed conditions
- watery stools, weakness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2021
- Citation
- 21007902
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 21007902.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's inability to self-sustain in the community due to mobility limitations, weakness, and impaired balance requires personal care services for bathing, dressing, undressing, toileting, and mobility. The Board has granted Level 2 PCAFC benefits.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for various conditions, including emotional changes, weakness, difficulty concentrating, behavioral changes, cognitive impairment, decreased memory concentration and attention, memory loss, delayed reaction time, dizziness and vertigo, sleep disturbance, and difficulty hearing in noisy situations. The Veteran was also granted a 100 percent disability rating for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for service connection of muscle aches, weakness, and fatigue. The Veteran's exposure to environmental hazards during service in Southwest Asia is verified.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms of fatigue and weakness are related to fibromyalgia or a Gulf War/Southwest Asia illness. A new VA medical opinion is needed.
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.