Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board will not address higher ratings.,Service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and OSA are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. Service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to inadequate consideration of new evidence.,The Veteran's right ankle disability remains remanded as no current disabilities were diagnosed during the VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea, which is secondary to allergic rhinitis or PTSD, is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her lumbosacral strain (claimed as low back condition) is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board will obtain a supplemental opinion regarding the ameliorative effects of medication on her service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was dismissed because the AOJ had already granted service connection in an August 2021 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD, lumbosacral strain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chronic tendonitis of the right ankle.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, herniated disc, IVDS and spinal stenosis is rated at 40 percent since August 19, 2020. The appeal period did not show unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes of IVDS.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a lumbosacral strain due to an inadequate VA examination and failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports regarding her in-service duties.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The Board has remanded the cases of IVDS, BLE radiculopathy, cervical spine mass, BUE radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring an addendum opinion on whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected insomnia.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or service connection prior to September 1, 2024.,Service connection for bladder cancer and diabetes were also denied due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 22, 2020 for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim was continuously pursued by filing ITFs and VA Form 21-526EZs.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service onset or relationship to service for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for sleep apnea, as it is unclear whether the Veteran's current sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected somnolence. A new medical opinion is needed to determine if the sleep apnea would be less severe and result in less functional impact but for the service-connected somnolence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left arm scar tissue and bumps, migraine headache disability, right knee disability, sleep apnea, and sleep paralysis as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea is directly related to service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have aggravated his current sleep apnea and migraines. Service connection for these conditions is granted from the dates specified.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on this matter.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected migraine headaches and tinnitus, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining in-patient treatment records and medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.