Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disability, sleep apnea, and prostate cancer. The claim for prostate cancer prior to August 10, 2022 is remanded due to the need for dose estimation of radiation exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it is presumed to have been incurred during active duty.,VA examinations were not provided for the Veteran's hip, low back, and knee disabilities. The Veteran also needs a VA examination for his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives and insufficient examination. The Veteran's sleep apnea is being reviewed again, along with its relationship to his service-connected plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for GERD, lumbosacral sprain (claimed as lower back condition), and trapezius strain (resolved without residuals) due to insufficient development of evidence. The Veteran is advised that VA will make additional efforts to assist him in developing his claims, including scheduling telehealth examinations.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance of another person or being housebound due to her service-connected conditions has been remanded. The VA failed to provide adequate notice regarding the scheduled VA examination, which resulted in a denial of the claim. The Board is now required to ensure that proper notification was provided and that the Veteran's address is correctly recorded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.,No new evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the claim for sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are remanded due to insufficient evidence or procedural issues.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, tension headaches, and hepatosplenomegaly due to new and material evidence. The appeals are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected unspecified anxiety with depression and posttraumatic disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the previous VA medical opinions and the need for a new examination regarding snoring at the April 1999 VA examination.

The Veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was received on August 23, 2018, which was properly assigned as the effective date of service connection. The appeal is denied.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including breathing disorder, back disorder, headaches, acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disorder, heart disorder, painful joints, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, hypertension, obesity, vision disorder, intestinal disorder, and sleep apnea. The Board also notes that no presumptive service connection is being considered for any of the conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining retrospective medical opinions to estimate the amount of range of motion lost due to pain in both weightbearing and non-weight bearing positions.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring a new evaluation of the Veteran's sleep apnea claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of some issues which were remanded. The new and material evidence has reopened several petitions to reopen previous denied claims.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and denied service connection for bilateral pes planus. The case is remanded for further examination regarding the lumbar spine disability, lower extremity radiculopathy, small Haglund deformities, and hammer toes.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current severity.

The Board has granted a 10% disability rating for the left toe disorder, but remanded other service connection claims due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is rated at 50 percent from November 5, 2012. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.