Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete TERA development and inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran contends that his military service caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea, which is related to his service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder with adjustment disorder with depressed mood. The Board will need to obtain an updated VA examination and medical opinion to address the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service.

The Board denied service connection for IBS, OSA, and GERD as there is no persuasive evidence of their onset or relationship to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD and GERD, with obesity serving as an intermediate step.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 6, 2022, for the award of service connection for left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy and degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain have been dismissed.,The Veteran has been granted service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's effective date for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and right wrist sprain is set at January 31, 2020. The Board found that a direct nexus to service was factually ascertainable.

The Veteran's initial rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and spondylolisthesis was denied, as his disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA is remanded due to the need for a thorough examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the condition, active service, and any other relevant factors.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbosacral strain with IVDS from January 23, 2020 is denied. The claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to major depressive disorder is granted. The Veteran is also entitled to SMC based on the loss of use of a creative organ.

The appeal for a temporary total evaluation due to surgery for service-connected lumbosacral strain status post spinal fusion with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew her appeal in writing.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant, through her authorized representative, withdrew the appeal in writing prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, and sleep apnea due to a failure by the RO to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a pre-adjudication hearing before the RO.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied as the correct form (VA Form 21-4138) was not submitted within one year of the AOJ decision. The Board found that jurisdiction over a CUE motion does not include an earlier effective date claim.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and hypertension have been granted service connection, while the claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's OSA and migraines are granted as service-connected.,The rating for GERD is restored to 30%, and the initial PTSD rating is granted at 100%.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is related to her military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to her service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the Board has also granted secondary service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the etiology and aggravation of the Veteran's sleep apnea. The Veteran seeks service connection for his sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder with anxious distress.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that his OSA did not originate in service or within a year of service and is not otherwise etiologically related to his active service or to his service-connected left knee disability.

The appeal for service connection for chronic sinusitis is dismissed because it results from a prohibited concurrent election under the modernized review system. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to PTSD and insomnia disorder, is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.