Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and for increased ratings, as well as her TDIU claim. The Veteran was not provided adequate notice regarding her hysterectomy claim in February 2002, which is a requirement under Kent v. Nicholson.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of private treatment records for heart and sleep apnea disabilities. The Veteran is asked to provide releases for these records.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his request to withdraw the appeal for sleep apnea. The Board found that bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred in active duty service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been rated at 20 percent since March 13, 2013.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a sleep disorder, which he attributes to an inservice facial injury in August 1991. The Board finds that the RO must attempt to obtain all of the Veteran's pertinent treatment records and schedule an examination to identify any current sleep disorders found, including insomnia and sleep apnea; and for each disorder identified, provide an opinion as to whether it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of all issues on appeal with the exception of his bilateral hearing loss claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and premature ventricular contractions.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical services rendered at OSUMC on February 10, 2010 is denied as the treatment did not meet the criteria for a 'medical emergency' under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, PTSD, and obstructive sleep apnea were not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran has degenerative arthritis and DDD of the lumbosacral spine that is the result of disease or injury incurred during active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD and finds that the Veteran's GERD first manifested during service. The Board also notes that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred in service.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the evidence does not support a higher initial rating for his low back disability, and service connection for cervical spine arthritis was granted but no new rating assigned. The TDIU claim is also pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete examination reports and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has granted the claim for service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis, finding that it is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected thoracolumbar strain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examination results and Social Security Administration records. The issues of increased evaluation for spondylolisthesis with a lumbosacral strain and disc abnormalities and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability are also included in the appeal.

The Veteran's low back disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, and he is granted service connection for degenerative arthritis and disc herniation of the lumbosacral spine. The issue of service connection for neuropathy remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding his obstructive sleep apnea and for the issue of initial compensable rating for hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it did not begin during his military service and is not otherwise related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of VA treatment records.