Hepatitis C decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hepatitis C, rheumatic fever, or a heart condition as a result of service. The claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing proper VCAA notice.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed hepatitis C is not a disorder of service origin and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted an effective date of August 4, 2004 for the grant of service connection for PTSD. The issue of Hepatitis C remains pending as it is not on appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his active service, and thus cannot be granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a clinical nexus opinion regarding the likely etiology of the veteran's hepatitis C.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected hepatitis C does not warrant a higher initial rating of more than 20 percent.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to determine the etiology of his Hepatitis C, hypertension, and impotency.

The Board found that the veteran's Hepatitis C is not etiologically related to his period of active service and denied the claim.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, cervical spine, low back, and left shoulder disabilities as secondary to a service-connected disability. However, the evidence does not support a finding of current diagnoses or a link between these conditions and active service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's hepatitis C is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board has ordered a new VA examination to assess its current status and frequency of incapacitating episodes.

The Board has determined that further development is required before the claim can be decided, including providing proper VCAA notice and obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's hepatitis C.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there is no medical evidence linking his current diagnosis to his military service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of hepatitis C, status post liver transplant is being remanded due to procedural defects in the VCAA notification.

The Board has determined that a higher initial rating of 20 percent is warranted for hepatitis C beginning February 2, 2006. A higher initial rating prior to this date is denied.

The veteran's request for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to his inability to attend a scheduled videoconference hearing. He will be rescheduled for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C warrants a 30 percent rating for the period from October 5, 2001 through September 6, 2002.

The Board found that the veteran's current Hepatitis C was not incurred during his active military service and is not related to any in-service exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and his claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 40 percent for hepatitis C with cirrhosis is dismissed without prejudice.

The veteran withdrew his appeal before a final decision was made, resulting in the case being dismissed.