Hepatitis C decisions — 2006

The veteran's chronic hepatitis C is granted as service connected due to the blood transfusion received during active service.

The veteran's non-service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine degenerative disease and asthma, do not meet the criteria for a combined rating of at least 70 percent to qualify for pension benefits due to their severity. The veteran is therefore denied pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the case to allow for additional development and a new medical opinion regarding whether the veteran's hepatitis C is related to his military service.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim that his hepatitis C was caused by service, and denied the claim.

The Board finds that the veteran's hepatitis C is related to his service in Vietnam, and grants service connection for this condition. The Board also finds that the residuals of infectious mononucleosis are not related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as it is more likely than not due to his own IV drug use. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C with liver transplant is not related to service and therefore denied his claim.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of hepatitis C was denied. The claim for PTSD remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at an RO in Little Rock, Arkansas. The veteran's claims to reopen service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and hepatitis C will be considered after the hearing.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension, hepatitis C, and splenomegaly did not develop due to or were not made worse by the April 1990 VA parathyroid surgery or associated VA hospitalization, testing, and treatment.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis C in service or for many years thereafter and no competent evidence linking the condition to the veteran's period of active service. The appeal is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding no evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the veteran's claim of hepatitis C being related to service, and thus denied the claim.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for hepatitis-c and hypertension, finding that new evidence supports a link between his current conditions and service. However, further development is needed to address whether hypertension is secondary to hepatitis-c.

The Board found that the appellant's back disability, hepatitis C, and PTSD were not incurred or aggravated during service. The current diagnoses are not related to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and hepatitis. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hepatitis C is not related to his military service, specifically the episode of hepatitis A he had in service. The appeal is denied.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and a right hand condition, to include Raynaud's phenomenon, must be remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C was denied as there is no clinical diagnosis of the condition. The claims for foot disability and hearing loss are addressed in a separate remand.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and the need for a medical opinion regarding the veteran's depression claim. The issues of PTSD and hepatitis C are also pending.