Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for a speech disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Board has remanded the issues regarding a nose and throat disorder, including sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, and a sleep disorder, including insomnia, REM sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea, due to deficiencies in the medical opinions provided.,The Veteran's service connection claims for these conditions are pending and will be addressed after obtaining additional VA medical opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and irritable bowel syndrome as there is no evidence of current disabilities in accordance with VA standards.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea was dismissed because the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) filed in December 2020 was not valid and did not initiate an appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is at least as likely as not proximately aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including sinusitis, diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. As a result, the claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to these conditions is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral ankle condition, and bilateral foot condition (claimed as pes planus) due to a lack of VA examination prior to the June 2019 rating decision on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, cervical spondylosis, OSA, and sinus disorder is denied. The Board found no new and relevant evidence to support the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's sleep apnea disability, finding that it had its onset during his military service and is related to his existing tinnitus disability.

The Board has determined that the September 2020 VA examination is inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to address whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused his obesity, which in turn may have aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and TDIU due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran is required to be afforded a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depressive disorder and anxiety disorder associated with PTSD, lumbosacral strain, and earlier effective dates for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a cervical spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and remands the case for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability, esophageal disability (GERD and Barrett's Esophagus), OSA, and PTSD. The Veteran's claim for migraine headaches is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal to change the docketing type from Direct Review to Evidence Submission review was erroneously docketed under a separate stream, leading to this dismissal of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, finding that the most persuasive evidence supports this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes. The claim will be reconsidered with a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received sufficient to readjudicate the claims for service connection for OSA, neck condition, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, left elbow condition, and back condition. The AOJ is required to obtain a VA medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of service connection and increased rating, as well as earlier effective date issues. The Board finds pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the current record.

Service connection for right lower extremity, left lower extremity, and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to lack of competent evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma and associated scar are granted effective July 18, 2022.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted effective August 16, 2021. The rating for OSA remains denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.,The Veteran's hypertension and service connection for hypertension are both denied.,The Veteran's effective date for SMC based on housebound status is granted effective February 1, 2020.