Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The Board denied increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, plantar fasciitis with degenerative joint disease in both feet, and hypertension.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and degenerative disc disease, lumbar based on the evidence supporting a direct link to the Veteran's active service.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, due to an inadequate medical opinion.

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection based on new and relevant evidence, but remanded the matters for further development.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and low back disability, among others. The Veteran's tinnitus was rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for sleep apnea, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review this matter.

The appeal regarding the proposed reduction in the 70 percent disability rating for MDD was dismissed as it was premature. The claim for a higher rating for DDD of the lumbosacral spine with IVDS was denied.

The appeal for revision of the October 2014 denial of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was denied, as well as claims for earlier effective dates for grants of service connection for various conditions.

The Board granted the Appellant's eligibility for direct payment of attorney fees based on past-due benefits from the grant of service connection for GERD and OSA, but denied it for tinnitus.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease and sleep apnea, and the Board dismissed these claims.

The Board granted an effective date of April 19, 2017 for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD and an effective date of January 5, 2022 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted an effective date of December 12, 2014, for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the disability and either in-service events or the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected knee and ankle disabilities, finding that the evidence was in equipoise.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of sleep apnea, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review this matter.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, hypertensive chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, Type II, and cardiomyopathy as they are inextricably intertwined with each other.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and major depressive disorder, moderate (depression and anxiety), granted an increased disability rating of 30 percent for GERD, and denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain/thoracic spondylosis and thoracic mild scoliosis.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, bilateral hearing loss, OSA, atrial fibrillation, and tinnitus. The Board also denied increased ratings for lumbar strain with lumbar spondylosis, left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy, and hypertension.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms had their onset during his active duty and have been recurrent since then.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for a lumbosacral strain.