Karlester Young v. Kip Hallman

── Karlester Young v. Kip Hallman ── Court: Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Date: April 13, 2026 Category: General NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT ___________ No. 24-1920 __________ KARLESTER YOUNG, Appellant v. KIP HALLMAN, President of Wellpath Holdings; PAUL NOEL, Chief Medical Director; JOHN OR JANE DOE, Chief Assistant Medical Director; JOHN OR JANE DOE HEPATITIS C TREATMENT COMMITTEE; BRITNAY HUNER; ANTHONY LITIZIO; S. O’NEILL; MONIQUE SAVAGE; JEANNE DE FRANGESCO; CORINA CAMPOS; STEPHAN KAMINSKI; VANESSA AMOAH OTI-AKENTEN; JAMIE SORBER; THOMAS PANDURN; D. VARNER; KERI MOORE; JORGE DOMINICS; JOHN E. WETZEL, GEORGE LITTLE, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, in their individual and official capacities; WELLPATH HOLDINGS, LLC (Wellpath); PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, in their official capacities ____________________________________ On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (D.C. Civil Action No. 2:23-cv-00268) District Judge: Honorable Harvey Bartle, III ____________________________________ Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a) April 7, 2026 Before: BIBAS, CHUNG, and BOVE, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed April 13, 2026)  ___________ OPINION* ___________ PER CURIAM Appellant Karlester Young, a Pennsylvania state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, appeals from the District Court’s dismissal of his civil rights complaint. Medical Appellees1 have also filed a motion to dismiss that is before this Court. For the following reasons, the motion is granted, we dismiss the claims against those defendants, and we will otherwise affirm the District Court’s judgment. I. Young was diagnosed with the Hepatitis C virus (“HCV”) for the first time within the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (“DOC”) in 2012. In the years since, his regular blood tests have consistently shown an undetectable viral load of HCV—meaning he is considered cured, and no longer has chronic HCV. Young’s complaint arises from the DOC’s refusal, per those test results, to treat his HCV with direct-acting antiviral * This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not constitute binding precedent. 1 Young filed suit against several contract medical providers, the DOC, numerous DOC employees, Wellpath Holdings, LLC—the corporate healthcare provider at SCI- Phoenix—and several of its employees. Wellpath and its named employees constitute the “Medical Appellees.” 2 drugs (DAADs), which are the recommended treatment for patients with chronic HCV.2 After filing his complaint, Young requested and was appointed counsel, who later withdrew. Prior to and following counsel’s withdrawal, all named defendants filed motions to dismiss for failure to state a claim. Young was not appointed new counsel and proceeded pro se. On January 29, 2024, the District Court granted all pending motions to dismiss. Young timely filed two post-judgment motions, which the District Court denied. Young timely appealed. II. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Our review of a District Court’s decision to grant a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim is plenary, see Curry v. Yachera, 835 F.3d 373