The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center on March 21, 2017 are now covered by VA as the treatment was deemed necessary due to a 'medical emergency' and no feasible VA facility was available.
The deciding factor: The Veteran presented with severe back pain that rapidly worsened, causing him to seek immediate medical attention at the nearest hospital emergency room. The Board found his subjective description of severe pain credible and concluded that he had a 'medical emergency.'
- Claimed conditions
- cervical stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23011848
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 23011848.
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 Veteran is granted an effective date of June 22, 2019 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical stenosis is granted as service connected, with the Board finding that it began in service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for cervical stenosis was previously granted, and this appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and missing SSA records. The Veteran's cervical spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, and cervical stenosis are being reviewed for service connection.
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