Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Veteran's appeals for obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome have been dismissed.,The Veteran's right knee condition has been granted service connection, with the left knee condition also being granted as secondary to his right knee condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for migraine headaches is granted, as the evidence supports a finding that her current condition is causally related to military service.,Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) is also granted. The medical opinions support the conclusion that the Veteran's weight gain due to her service-connected conditions contributed to her development of sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to obtain opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is not enough evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea with use of a c-pap machine, hypertension, right pinky finger condition, and left leg condition due to incomplete service personnel records. The AOJ must verify all dates of active duty, active duty for training, and inactive duty for training in the Coast Guard Reserve from 2013 to the present.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the current lumbar spine disorder is due to his service-connected right knee condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected psychiatric disability, but more evidence is needed to determine if this relationship exists.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea, 40 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease, and 10 percent for right knee scars have been dismissed.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective from May 31, 2025.

The Veteran's attempt to appeal the March 10, 2025 VA Correspondence regarding his service connection claims for headaches and sleep apnea was dismissed because the correspondence did not address any legal issues related to the claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no current disability.,PTSD was granted an initial rating of 70 percent, but not more than that. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of June 13, 2024 for his award of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). The Board found that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to the date of receipt of his VA Form 21-8940.

The Veteran's back condition was not rated higher than 40 percent due to lack of favorable ankylosis.,Left and right lower extremity sciatic radulopathy were not rated higher than 20 percent as there was no evidence of moderately severe incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability (PTSD) is rated at 100% and his sleep apnea is service-connected on a secondary basis. The effective date for these ratings has not been determined.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disability and right ankle disability are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is also granted as service-connected.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left retroperitoneal tumor with liposarcoma status-post surgery with resection of colon, distal pancreas, spleen, and partial adrenal gland due to in-service exposure to toxins and other chemicals. The evidence does not support a finding that the liposarcoma was caused by such exposures.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain relevant private medical records and to schedule a VA examination for sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea has been granted, and he is now entitled to a 70% disability rating for his PTSD.,An effective date of May 15, 2023, but no earlier, has been assigned for the 70% PTSD disability rating.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence in the file on which to make a claim. The appellant's current disabilities of right and left foot gouty arthritis, cervical spine stenosis, and obstructive sleep apnea are associated with or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder disability.