Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, OSA, and COPD. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to address both direct service connection and whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions aggravated his obesity, which may have contributed to his OSA.

An initial 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted, effective from June 14, 2017. The issue of service connection for OSA is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for further evaluation and clarification of certain issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a lumbosacral condition as new and material evidence was not received, and the current evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's cervical strain and upper extremity radiculopathy are being granted increased ratings, but the maximum available benefit has not been assigned.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion provided in previous examinations.,Service connection for hypothyroidism is also remanded due to inadequate medical opinion provided in previous examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's right knee, left knee, and right ankle disorders are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began during his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a compensable rating for dyshidrotic eczema due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to military service, and the character of his discharge from his second period of service is not a bar to VA benefits.,Service connection for heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, sleep apnea, bilateral knee disability, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and scars are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain with IVDS and cervical strain, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and active military service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied as the Veteran did not meet the minimum degree of hearing loss required for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further VA examinations and evaluations regarding his sleep disability, diabetes mellitus, and genitourinary disabilities. The examinations will assess whether these conditions are related to active service or secondary to other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to representation and obtaining service treatment records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains under review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his active service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral sacroiliac joint arthritis is granted as service connected. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD, sleep apnea, or chronic fatigue syndrome. The back and bilateral flat feet conditions are also not supported by the evidence as being related to service.

The Veteran's claim for right ear hearing loss was reopened and granted service connection.,The Veteran's claim for left ear hearing loss was not reopened.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, requiring use of a CPAP machine, is granted as service-connected on the basis that it first manifested during his period of active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and other issues are being remanded due to procedural errors in the rating decisions, including failure to provide a Statement of the Case (SOC) and incomplete records. The Veteran is also requested to provide SSA records.

The Board has found that additional evidence received since the September 2019 SOC requires remand for readjudication of all issues. The Veteran's claims are not related to any specific exposure basis, and no presumption or service connection theory is specified.