From the sunny southern RO in Florida:

Amazing. The Vet is wondering why he doesn’t feel well and he files for liver damage. So the VA rates him for Hep, secondary to the PCT. This reflects the a$$backwards approach to VA rulings. The Vet was already rated for PCT in an April, 2001 decision by virtue of exposure to Agent Orange. I suspect he finally got curious as to why he had so much skin damage and white pus pockets on his hands and arms. He went to see the Doctor after his wife yelled at him for 5 years (like mine did).

      I’m rated the same as this fellow Vet with the exception that my PCT service connection was granted after SC for my hep and the “experts” determined it was due to the hep and not AO. I guess it doesn’t make any difference how a Vet gets there as long as his claim is legitimate.

They cut down a lot of trees and used up a lot of paper to get to the bottom of this one. Not that I’m against cutting down trees, mind you. The VAMC in Portland discovered after a number of years that there was a 35% PCT diagnosis in all of the VA’s HCV cohort. Here we are in 2010 and they (the VA) seem to be totally oblivious to this 1994 study. Keep in mind that VA examiners are not medical doctors. Nevertheless, they get to opine like doctors. It’s fairly obvious they had a different ending planned in their agenda here. The Vet’s liver problems were all related to HCV, not PCT. So, since he wasn’t rated for Hep., and hep. wrecked his liver, then he’s got a problem and VA doesn’t, right? Denied and case closed. Fortunately we have a few BVA judges who can see through this ruse. Always remember that your local “Veterans Service Center”(formerly known as the VARO or Regional Office) will invariably deny your claim using hokey science,  misread and misinterpreted regulations and purposefully confuse the isssue to the point where you won’t recognize your own claim. Keep a Form 9 handy. Don’t waste your time on a Decision Review Officer rereading your claim and having a joyful epiphany. Ain’t gonna happen, pilgrim. Veterans Service Center- how sweet the sound. If only it were true.