Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Veteran seeks service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to her service-connected PTSD. The Board has decided this issue and has ordered a remand due to the need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, left lower extremity condition, and right lower extremity condition are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, headaches, depression, and asthma have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board dismissed the appeal regarding an earlier effective date for service connection of lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease. The Veteran's claim for payment of VA disability benefits for August 2018 is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for Sleep Apnea and Hepatitis C, finding no evidence linking the conditions to service or any other compensable basis.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and need for further medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain with mild degenerative changes is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination and consideration of functional loss.

The Board found new and material evidence for some claims but denied them based on lack of service connection criteria, while others were granted due to reopening the claim.

The Board has decided the case is on appeal for service connection of sleep apnea, secondary to PTSD. Additional etiology opinions are needed as the current opinion did not address whether the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset in or was related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is granted a 70 percent disability rating, and he is granted a TDIU. Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating greater than 40 percent for lumbosacral strain. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for these claims based on his lack of current disability due to his claimed conditions, which were not related to active service.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have started during his military service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea due to his withdrawal of these claims. The appeal for service connection for spinal stenosis is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases of increased ratings for sleep apnea, Addison's disease, and migraines due to lack of recent VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her service connection claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD has been granted. She is now entitled to these claims.,Service connection for a back disability, hypertension, migraine headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, heart condition, bilateral hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, left foot condition, and right foot condition are all denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot bone spurs, sleep impairment to include sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision found no current diagnoses or in-service events that would support these claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for retinitis pigmentosa and irritable bowel syndrome as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran will need to provide medical records, undergo examinations, and possibly submit additional opinions.

The Board has decided that it cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the service-connected asthma because the August 2014 VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran's asthma aggravates his sleep apnea. The case is being remanded for an addendum medical opinion from the same or another appropriate expert.