Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Board has denied service connection for OSA and GERD, finding that the conditions neither had their onset in nor are otherwise related to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disability, cervical spine disability, obstructive sleep apnea, right foot disability, left foot disability, and bilateral hearing loss, due to missing records from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability prior to September 10, 2020 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current level of disability and noted that the Veteran had been granted service connection for this condition in March 2020 with an initial rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease and related radiculopathies, bladder incontinence, bowel incontinence, right acromioclavicular joint separation, and depressive disorder, have resulted in the need for special monthly compensation at the housebound rate since April 20, 2006.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to insufficient medical opinion regarding causation and aggravation.

The Veteran withdrew all pending appeals, including the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and left knee osteoarthritis are found to be at least in equipoise with causing or aggravating his sleep apnea. As a result, the Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's back disability is being examined again, and if granted, further examinations will be needed to determine secondary service connection for right shoulder strain and right leg condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis and thus, the first element of the service connection claim has not been satisfied. For the bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome claim, the case was remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's OSA is being remanded for a medical opinion to determine if it was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD with moderate alcohol use disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for a sinus disability, left shoulder strain, obstructive sleep apnea, and back disability. The Veteran's claims are based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 8, 2023 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for lumbosacral strain has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's lay statements and medical opinions support his claim of in-service onset and continuity of symptoms since service separation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and lung cancer are being remanded. The claim for diabetes mellitus type II is granted under the PACT Act, but a VA examination is needed to determine if it was incurred in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of anatomical loss or use of extremities, and his conditions are not related to exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or other presumptive conditions.

Your appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been dismissed because your request to review the decision was not filed within one year of the original decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable due to their severity.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.