Hepatitis C decisions — 2020

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was nonsymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of sarcoidosis, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis C, and chronic renal disease as these conditions were not claimed or arose within one year after separation from active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for liver disease (including cirrhosis, hepatitis C, and liver cancer), finding that it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression and/or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disability, claimed as depression, has been withdrawn.,Service connection for hepatitis C and liver disease was denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service or secondary to another condition. New and material evidence was not received to reopen these claims.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and all issues are dismissed.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for chronic low back disorder and hepatitis C, as well as rating and effective date determinations. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from January 26, 2011 to April 27, 2012 due to his service-connected hepatitis C. The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C rendered him unemployable during this period.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for GERD, finding that it is not related to his in-service gastrointestinal complaints or his service-connected psychiatric condition.

The Board dismissed the appeals for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and hepatitis C as they are no longer relevant due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's hypertension, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver, gastroesophageal disability (including GERD and Barrett's esophagus), heart disability other than CAD (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation), and erectile dysfunction are all granted. However, due to insufficient evidence, several issues related to these conditions have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's Hepatitis C is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding a potential service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, hepatitis C, bilateral pes planus, and a residual kidney disability, status post left kidney removal. The evidence supports the conclusion that these conditions are causally related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's mechanical low back pain with degenerative joint disease is granted an increased rating of 40 percent, but no higher. The claim for hepatitis C and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has ordered additional development for the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic liver disease, including hepatitis C, and TDIU. The remand includes obtaining VA treatment records and requesting an opinion from a qualified examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disability, hepatitis C, COPD, AAA, and PVD have been denied. The issues of service connection for a bilateral ear injury and peripheral vascular disease of the right and left lower extremities remain pending and are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous depiction of his disability. He may now have cirrhosis, which could affect his current rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's hepatitis C, as there is insufficient evidence to determine its etiology.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and his appeals for service connection and ratings for various conditions are dismissed. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral pes planus.