The Veteran's non-VA medical expenses for December 21, 2016, January 4, 2017, and January 11, 2017 at Essentia Health are granted as the treatment was related to an adjudicated service-connected disability (peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities with carpal tunnel syndrome) and delay in seeking care would have been hazardous.
The deciding factor: The non-VA medical expenses were incurred due to a life-threatening condition (GI bleed) that required emergent treatment, which was not provided by VA facilities as scheduled. The Veteran's follow-up visits at Essentia Health were considered part of the initial emergency room visit and thus covered under VA policy.
- Claimed conditions
- GI bleed, DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22009137
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 22009137.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claims for service connection for GI bleed and anemia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lymphoma, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence supporting this conclusion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's GI bleed or ulcer condition was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected large b-cell Burkitt's lymphoma, including treatment like chemotherapy. The appeal of TDIU is dismissed as moot due to the 100% rating already granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the issues of entitlement to service connection for large B-cell Burkitt lymphoma, GI bleed, anemia, and febrile neutropenia are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for varicose veins postthrombotic syndrome antithrombin deficiency and DVT, left and right lower extremities (claimed as severe bilateral leg varicosities and cellulitis), finding that the Veteran's symptoms began in service and have continued to the present.
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