Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, a 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress (MDD) from January 13, 2020 to July 18, 2021, and a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due exclusively to service-connected MDD effective October 13, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for low back strain but granted readjudication of the claim for obstructive sleep apnea due to new and relevant evidence being submitted.

The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is directly related to service and whether it is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain, denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and eczema, and remanded claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and persistent depressive disorder dysthymia.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected physical and psychiatric disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of sleep apnea to obtain a more comprehensive VA medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and gout, as well as various increased rating claims, finding that the evidence did not support a higher initial or compensable rating for any of these conditions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for syncope and obstructive sleep apnea, as well as the claim for special monthly compensation based on a need for aid and attendance of another person, due to inadequate medical opinions provided by the VA examiners.

The Board remands the claim for a sleep disability, to include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or hypersomnolence, due to deficiencies in previous VA medical opinions and to obtain additional medical comment.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, myasthenia gravis with right upper extremity muscle weakness, and others.

The Board granted eligibility for the direct payment of attorney fees to the appellant from benefits resulting from the March 2024 grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain, left knee patella strain, right knee patella strain, left knee patella instability, and right knee patella instability, but denied such eligibility for a 50 percent rating for a right hip disorder status post total arthroplasty.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected GERD.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding the evidence to be in approximate balance and resolving any reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board granted an increased initial rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected mood disorder due to known physiological condition, with major depressive-like episodes, and also granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to this condition. Additionally, TDIU was granted.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea but denied a compensable rating for tension headaches.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea based on new and relevant evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral spine strain with additional diagnosis of laminectomy and intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for sleep apnea to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted an initial 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain and a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches, effective September 1, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in a March 1993 rating decision.