The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for the regular aid and attendance of another person or housebound status is denied as he does not require such assistance.
The deciding factor: VA examinations conducted during the appeal period consistently showed that the Veteran requires assistance with certain activities but is able to attend to his wants of nature, is not restricted to his home or bedridden, and has the capacity to protect himself from daily hazards. The combined disability evaluation for compensation is 100%, precluding SMC based on housebound status.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified depressive disorder, right total shoulder joint replacement, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, pseudofolliculitis barbae, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, sciatica of the left lower extremity, scars to the lower back, right shoulder, and neck, radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, bilateral tinnitus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, radiculopathy of the femoral nerve of the right lower extremity, raticulopathy of the femoral nerve of the left lower extremity, hypertension, herpes simplex, disfigurement scar to the neck, chronic kidney disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26010175
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 A26010175.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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