Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone cause her to be housebound and/or in need of regular aid and attendance. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and right lower extremity radiculopathy conditions have worsened since their last VA examinations, and therefore remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right shoulder disability have been granted increased ratings, but the rating for his right shoulder is only granted prior to September 13, 2022. The Veteran's sleep apnea remains under review.,Service connection has not yet been established for the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for OSA, bilateral knee disorder, skin disorder, and psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tension headaches, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and spinal stenosis, and unspecified cervical spine issues due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus as secondary to sleep apnea. The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted effective January 1, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for rhinitis, folliculitis, and sleep apnea as there is no current disability found.,There was no evidence of these conditions during or shortly after service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional VA evidence, specifically surgical records from May 2021. The appeal will be reconsidered after these records are added to the claims file.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new requirements under the PACT Act for toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) examinations and opinions, as the Veteran had qualifying deployments in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further examinations to assess her current disability levels during flare-ups.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability is rated at 20 percent for the period prior to February 3, 2020. For the period beginning February 3, 2020, his disability does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and sleep apnea due to incomplete development of records, failure to provide adequate notice regarding examination requests, and lack of clarity in communication.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, specifically obstructive sleep apnea, is being remanded due to the need for clarification of his exact sleep disorder and further medical evaluation.

The Board has ordered remand due to non-compliance with previous remand directives regarding the service connection claims for lung condition and sleep apnea. The Veteran needs to be offered a chance to complete a sleep study, including a home sleep apnea test if medically appropriate.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 29, 2015 for the right knee disability rating. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection on various issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for TBI and lumbosacral strain with arthritis and IVDS are remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for additional opinions regarding service connection for sleep apnea, specifically whether it is related to PTSD or aggravated by obesity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, right knee disability, left knee disability, and bilateral conjunctivitis due to incomplete or incorrect factual premises in the VA examination reports. Additional development is required including obtaining medical opinions and potentially scheduling additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases of sigmoid diverticulosis and obstructive sleep apnea for further development to obtain adequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective date and increased ratings for lumbosacral strain were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date prior to November 12, 2016, or for a rating in excess of 10 percent before July 11, 2022, and no medical records are available after this period.