Citation Nr: 18141358 Decision Date: 10/10/18 Archive Date: 10/10/18 DOCKET NO. 18-40 817 DATE: October 10, 2018 REMANDED Entitlement to payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (CRMH) on January 13, 2014, is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND It appears that the Veteran had active duty service. It also appears that this matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from an February and March 2013 letters of determination by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. The Board reflects that vital documents to decide this case are missing from the claims file. Specifically, at this time, information regarding the Veteran’s periods of service, including a copy of his Form DD-214, are not associated with the physical claims file and are not available in the electronic claims file in the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS). Moreover, based on the evidence associated with the physical and electronic claims files, the Board is unable to ascertain whether the Veteran has any disability for which service connection has been established, and, if he does, the evaluations assigned to such disability or disabilities. Moreover, the private treatment records from CRMH for the January 13, 2014, surgical procedure are not of record. Furthermore, in the Veteran’s March 2014 notice of disagreement and July 2018 substantive appeal, VA Form 9, he stated that he was being treated by VA, Friendship Manor, CRMH, and Springtree during this time. None of those identified treatment records have been obtained and associated with the claims file. See 38 U.S.C. § 5103A(b), (c); 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(b); see also Sullivan v. McDonald, 815 F.3d 786 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (where the Veteran “sufficiently identifies” other VA medical records that he or she desires to be obtained, VA must also seek those records even if they do not appear potentially relevant based upon the available information); Bell v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 611 (1992). Accordingly, the Board finds that a remand is necessary in order for the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) to properly develop this claim, to include obtaining all of the necessary documents for adjudication in this case and to associating those documents with the claims file. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain any and all VA treatment records not already associated with the claims file and associate those documents with the claims file. 2. Send a letter to the Veteran asking him to identify any private treatment that he may have had at Friendship Manor, CRMH, and Springtree, which is not already of record. After securing the necessary releases, attempt to obtain and associate those identified treatment records with the claims file. If any identified records cannot be obtained and further attempts would be futile, such should be noted in the claims file and the Veteran should be notified so that he can make an attempt to obtain those records on his own behalf. 3. The AOJ should complete proper development of this claim, including obtaining copies of all critical documents such as the Veteran’s Form DD-214 or otherwise verifying his periods of service and identifying what if any service-connected disabilities he has. Based on the information in those documents, the AOJ should then complete proper development of the claim under the applicable statutes in this case (either 38 U.S.C. § 1728 or 38 U.S.C. § 1725), as appropriate. 4. Following any additional indicated development, the AOJ should review the claims file and readjudicate the Veteran’s claim of entitlement to payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (CRMH) on January 13, 2014. If the benefits sought on appeal remain denied, the Veteran and his representative, if any, should be furnished a supplemental statement of the case and given the opportunity to respond thereto before the case is returned to the Board. JAMES G. REINHART Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD M. Peters, Counsel