Hepatitis C decisions — 2019

The Veteran's hepatitis claims are remanded due to inadequate examination and incomplete record. The examiner should consider all types of hepatitis, including Hepatitis A, B, and C, and address the Veteran's allegations of service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current hepatitis C disability is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining a new VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's cervical myelopathy and hepatitis C. The issues are related to service connection under direct theory.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for hepatitis B and TDIU due to potential overlap in symptoms between hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and because a decision on one claim could significantly impact the other.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver have been rated at 20% and 30%, respectively. The VA has not had an opportunity to review recent medical records from Gastroenterology Associates of North Texas, so these records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of hepatitis C and tuberculosis were denied in prior rating decisions. New evidence has reopened these claims, but the claims are still denied as there is no current disability related to these conditions.,Service connection was also denied for a skin disorder of the penis, to include dermatitis and a fungal disorder.

The Veteran's back disability and liver condition are being remanded for further development. His TDIU claim from April 29, 2011 to May 20, 2017 is also being remanded.

The Board has not yet decided the claims for hepatitis C and bilateral hearing loss. The cases are being sent back to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims of service connection for various conditions were denied as new and material evidence was not received. The appeals are dismissed.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's death, and no service connection was granted for any condition.

The Board denied service connection for Hepatitis C as the Veteran was not exposed to unclean vaccination needles in service and his disease is not related to service.

A rating of 30 percent for major depressive disorder from December 2, 2011 to August 9, 2015 is granted. Appeals seeking service connection for various knee and ankle disorders, as well as earlier effective dates for the psychiatric and skin disabilities are dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence of current disability. The claims for loss of sense of smell, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis B are remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to service-related risk factors, including drug and alcohol abuse secondary to PTSD. The Board grants service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claim for hepatitis C.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied an increased rating for hepatitis C. For the former, it was found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss meets VA criteria for a disability and is presumed to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure during military service. For the latter, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a 60% or higher rating as required by Diagnostic Code 7354.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a prostate condition has been granted, making the issue moot. The Board has remanded issues related to obstructive sleep apnea, hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction (secondary to prostate cancer), and psychiatric disability other than PTSD.

The Board denied readjudication of the issues of service connection for hepatitis C, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and tinea versicolor because VA did not receive new and relevant evidence after the initial AMA rating decision in December 2018.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the secondary service connection claims for cirrhosis of the liver and thrombocytopenic disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the appellant's Hepatitis C. The issues of service connection for Hepatitis C and entitlement to TDIU are inextricably intertwined.