The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Gene Dx on August 7, 2014, was denied because the testing was not pre-authorized by VA and did not meet the criteria for a medical emergency.
The deciding factor: The testing was not authorized in advance as required by regulations and did not qualify as an immediate medical emergency.
- Claimed conditions
- Colorectal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2022
- Citation
- 22010129
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 22010129.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service. The claims for colorectal cancer, sinusitis, and non-allergic rhinitis were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death was due to acute bowel ischemia caused by colorectal cancer. The Board finds that additional evidence is needed from Rush University Medical Center to properly assess the service connection for his cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and colorectal cancer are being remanded due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The Board will seek a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between these conditions and service, specifically exposure to chemical agents at Wurtsmith Air Force Base.
- Granted
The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's colorectal cancer is presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents in service.
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.