Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was not service-connected, but he is now eligible for a TDIU rating based on his combined disability rating of 70%.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for polyarteritis nodosa, to include as due to herbicide exposure, is being remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions he claims, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board videoconference hearing. Service connection will be determined based on the merits of the claims.

The Veteran claims that his sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The case is being remanded for a VA physician to provide an opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination and the need for additional evidence, including private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination and further development of the record, including obtaining any further VA treatment records from July 2012 forward. The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a back condition, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected right tibia and fibula fracture with severe loss of motion in the ankle. The case has been remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the low back disorder is caused by or aggravated by the service-connected ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including pseudofolliculitis barbae, skin rashes of the head and face, respiratory disorder, chronic headaches, right shoulder disorder (claimed as skin/nerve movements), ear disorder (claimed as ear aches, diagnosed as otitis externa), sleep disorder (claimed as insomnia/hypersomnia, diagnosed as sleep apnea), and vision problems. The Board found no objective evidence of these conditions during service or since service that could be attributed to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Fawcett Memorial Hospital from February 22-27, 2013 are now authorized for payment due to the emergent nature of his condition and the unavailability of VA facilities.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with spondylosis and ankylosing spondylitis is currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new examination and opinion regarding his low back disability. The issues of service connection for an additional low back disability are also inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was granted a 20% rating prior to October 15, 2012. After that date, the disability is rated at 10%. The Veteran also received separate ratings for incomplete paralysis of the right and left upper extremities, both beginning on October 15, 2012.,The Veteran's neck scar was granted a 10% rating.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and traumatic brain injury are all found to be related to service. The Veteran's hypothyroidism disability is not increased beyond the currently assigned 10% rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a videoconference hearing and further development as requested. The issues of service connection, evaluations in excess of 30 percent for dysphagia with odynophagia and paraesophageal hernia are pending.

The Board has decided that the case needs further examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected asthma aggravates his sleep apnea, and thus remands the matter for this purpose.