The Veteran's left arm pain on September 4, 2017 was considered a medical emergency due to the sudden and severe nature of his symptoms. The nearest VA facility was closed at that time, making an IDH ER visit reasonable and necessary.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left arm pain was deemed a serious health issue requiring immediate attention given his background and the sudden onset of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Left arm pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21026462
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 21026462.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for allergies, left arm pain, right arm pain, and right ankle pain due to a lack of evidence supporting the existence of current disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred on December 15, 2011 at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center was denied as the condition did not meet the criteria for a medical emergency requiring private hospital treatment.
- Denied
The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from June 20, 2009 to June 23, 2009 were denied as the VA found that he was stable enough for transfer to a VA facility after initial treatment on June 20, 2009.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a disability manifested by non-cardiac chest pain and left arm pain, as there was no demonstration of a chronic disability.
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.