Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his service and have denied all three issues on appeal.

The Board has received notification from the appellant's representative that they wish to withdraw their appeal, leading to its dismissal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to address the relationship between his hypertension and service-connected PTSD, as well as any current hepatitis B or its residuals. The examiner will also determine if the Veteran has a current diagnosis of hepatitis B or any related residuals.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was productive of daily fatigue, malaise, and arthralgia with intermittent anorexia and nausea from October 5, 2011, to November 22, 2015. From November 23, 2015, the disability was characterized by incapacitating episodes lasting four to six weeks in the prior 12 months.,The Veteran's hepatitis C was productive of daily fatigue, malaise and anorexia with substantial weight loss (or other indication of malnutrition) and hepatomegaly from November 23, 2015.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the reopening of a hepatitis C claim and the propriety of severing service connection for opiate dependence in remission with agonist therapy.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and fatty liver have been rated at 20 percent since March 29, 2006. The VA examiner found that the symptoms of daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia are present but do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the issue of a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's hepatitis B has not been manifested by active infection, weight loss, hepatomegaly, or incapacitating episodes. The combined effects of her service-connected skin disorders and hepatitis B do not make her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's hepatitis B disability has not resulted in daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia with substantial weight loss or hepatomegaly, nor have there been incapacitating episodes of at least four weeks duration within the past year. Therefore, a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected Crohn's disease with right partial colectomy and terminal resection is currently rated at 40 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. A separate noncompensable disability rating was assigned for his hepatitis C.

The Veteran's hepatitis B disability has not resulted in daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia with substantial weight loss or hepatomegaly, or incapacitating episodes lasting at least four weeks but less than six weeks within the past year. Therefore, a higher initial rating of more than 20 percent is denied.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 21, 2016 and as of that date was denied. The Board found no evidence supporting a rating higher than the current 10 percent or 20 percent ratings.,Service connection claims for right eye disorder, left eye disorder, alcohol dependence, liver disorder, renal disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and lower extremities were all denied.

The Veteran's death was caused by electrolyte imbalance, cirrhosis, and hepatitis C. The Board found no service connection for these conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to his active duty or any incident therein.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for hepatitis residuals and bilateral hearing loss have not met the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on housebound status from June 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008 due to insufficient evidence showing a single service-connected disability rated at 100% and additional disabilities that would qualify him for SMC.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated findings for his bilateral hearing loss, hepatitis C, and injury to Muscle Group XII. The issue of increased rating for PTSD requires a medical opinion on the effects of any substance abuse disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an updated VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining income information. The claim of entitlement to nonservice-connected pension is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature of his service-connected disabilities and whether they are related to service.