Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed the appeals related to proposed reduction of PTSD, entitlement to service connection for deviated septum, anger issues, anxiety, and depression due to procedural defects.

The Board remands the claims for further development and adjudicative action, including providing notice of the right to a pre-decisional RO hearing.

The Board granted an effective date of September 21, 2010, for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) rated as 50 percent disabling but denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and traumatic brain injury.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for migraines, cervical spinal stenosis, a scar on neck, and right ankle disability, as well as increased ratings for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The appeal for service connection for PTSD was denied due to insufficient evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disorders, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, neck, back, headache, right ankle, right knee, right shoulder, and right elbow disorders, penile disorder (erectile dysfunction), and sleep apnea, to correct a pre-decisional error by verifying the Veteran's duty status in January 2017 and obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and remanded the claims for service connection for prostate cancer, lumbosacral strain, and a higher rating for TBI.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability was granted a 100 percent rating, and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate was also granted from March 31, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as the evidence did not support a finding that the condition was incurred in or due to active military service.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the condition had its onset during military service and has persisted since then.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that it is as likely as not attributable to a period of annual training.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, remanding some issues for further development.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and tinnitus, but remanded the claims for decreased kidney function and frequent urination.

The veteran's appeal requests for service connection for migraines, obstructive sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction were denied due to untimeliness of the appeals.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea to obtain additional medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of the condition, including whether it is aggravated by a service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a throat condition, gastrointestinal condition, psychiatric disorder, back condition, elbow conditions, foot pain, leg conditions, migraine headaches, penile condition, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Board also denied a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a skin disorder, chest pain, and OSA to allow VA to consider new evidence under the PACT Act.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not providing adequate medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran's obesity, acting as an intermediary step due to any of his service-connected disabilities, resulted in the development of OSA and/or hypertension.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for sleep apnea to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion, as well as verify any potential exposure to chemicals during the Veteran's service.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of April 13, 2021 for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection of sleep apnea, as a secondary condition to PTSD, due to an inadequate medical nexus opinion.