Citation Nr: 18110901
Decision Date: 06/13/18	Archive Date: 06/13/18

DOCKET NO. 11-18 393A
DATE:	June 13, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to payment or reimbursement of the cost of medical expenses is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from November 1998 to December 2004.   
1. Entitlement to payment or reimbursement of the cost of medical expenses.
The record indicates that the Veteran perfected an appeal for payment or reimbursement of the cost of medical expenses, and the matter was certified to the Board in July 2011 and received at the Board in September 2012.  The matter was then sent to the Veteran’s representative for preparation of an informal hearing presentation.  That brief was received in May 2016.  
The electronic record does not contain any details related to the claim on appeal, other than the aforementioned VA form 8, September 2012 Board letter, and May 2016 informal hearing presentation. VACOLS lists the claim as one for “medical expense reimbursement,” and therefore that is how it is addressed above. The Board suspects that there is a separate paper Veterans Health Administration (VHA) folder which is being maintained for this Veteran which has not been transferred to the Board.  Before the Board can adjudicate this issue, it must have access to all the information pertaining to this claim. The claims files must be combined, and all relevant information returned to the Board.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Obtain and associate with the claims file a complete copy of the Veteran’s VHA medical appeal file. This includes the evidence related to the claim for a “medical expense reimbursement” as well as a copy of the Veteran’s claim, initial decision, the Notice of Disagreement, the Statement of the Case, and the Veteran’s substantive appeal. All documents related to the reimbursement issue must be added to the claims file.
2. Following any additional indicated development, the claim should be readjudicated. If the benefit sought on appeal remains denied, the Veteran and his representative should be furnished a supplemental statement of the case and given the opportunity to respond thereto before the case is returned to the Board. 
 
T. REYNOLDS
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	N. Snyder, counsel