Hepatitis C decisions — 2013

The Board found that hepatitis C was not incurred in service and denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision. The issue of hepatitis C has been remanded due to lack of STRs and outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hypertension claims are being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and obtaining relevant medical records. The hypertension claim is also on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for COPD was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service.,Osteoarthritis claims were also denied, with the Board finding that arthritis did not manifest during service or within one year post-service and is not linked to service.,The Veteran's claim for hepatitis-C infection was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and it is not related to service.,Scoliosis was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service.,Chronic dry skin with pruritis claims were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service or an undiagnosed illness.,The Veteran's claim for joint/muscle pain, memory loss, anxiety, depression, night sweats, mood swings, emotional problems, sleep disturbance, nightmares and neurological symptoms was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records from 2009.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 23, 2008 for the award of service connection for hepatitis C is denied. The earliest possible effective date for the Veteran's service connection award is May 23, 2008.

The Veteran's hepatitis C disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective September 29, 2010. The issues of PTSD and lung condition are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hepatitis C, status-post left femur fracture with avascular necrosis of the left hip, and back condition associated with the hip disability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 2005.

The Veteran's hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver and esophageal varices are not service-connected due to social risk factors. However, there is a possibility that they could be related to in-service immunizations with air guns.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension at the housebound rate is denied as he does not have a single permanent disability rated 100 percent disabling under the Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is found to be related to his service, with the Board finding that reasonable doubt has been resolved in favor of a connection.,Regarding hypertension, the Board determined that it was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not caused by or aggravated by service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO/AMC for further consideration of the Veteran's claims, including the submission of additional medical treatises and VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his service, and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development due to insufficient medical nexus opinions addressing his assertions of hepatitis C related to in-service exposure to blood and bodily fluids.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his military service. The appeal will be returned to the Board after this development.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to service and denied his claim for a skin disability due to burn pit exposure.

The Board has restored the Veteran's Section 1151 compensation for hepatitis C with rheumatological autoimmune disease, as well as his related grants of special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance. The depression disorder was also restored due to its secondary nature to the hepatitis C disability.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is productive of intermittent fatigue, but no other symptoms warranting a higher rating. The disability does not meet the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7354.