Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis. The claim of service connection for sleep apnea (claimed as breathing issues), to include as secondary to right knee disability, is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of beneficiary travel expenses to the San Francisco VA Medical Center on September 11, 2024 was granted as he met the criteria for reimbursement.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and new medical opinions are needed regarding whether OSA is related to service, especially given the Veteran's reported symptoms following shoulder surgery.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but has remanded his claim for a higher rating for lumbosacral degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease with thoracic back strain (lumbar spine disability).

The VA improperly revised the initial rating decision, assigning an initial zero percent rating for OSA effective August 19, 2014. The Board found that this revision was based on CUE and assigned a new initial 50 percent rating effective August 19, 2014.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) due to the Veteran's active duty service, finding that her symptoms are congruent with those experienced during and since service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The evidence does not support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.,Service connection was denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service onset or relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist tenosynovitis and right ankle strain, finding that these conditions are related to active service.,Service connection was denied for obstructive sleep apnea and a right shoulder disability due to the lack of evidence showing current disabilities or their relationship to active service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to hypertension, must be remanded due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding whether the sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's rating for bilateral pes planus was reduced from 50% to 10%, and his rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease was restored from 20% to 40%. The appeal is denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and migraines (chronic headaches) were denied in August 2016 and January 2018, respectively. The Veteran did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement within one year of these decisions, leading to their finality. As the VA Form 10182 was filed after this deadline, the issues are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back pain disability due to insufficient medical evidence and lack of rationale in the previous VA examination. The case is returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea. Additional development is needed, including a new medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's disability rating for obstructive sleep apnea was reduced from 50% to noncompensable effective July 1, 2015. The decision is revised to restore the 50% rating.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have diabetes or sleep apnea due to service, and left knee replacement is remanded for further review.

The Veteran's service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and right foot peroneal nerve damage is granted, effective June 19, 2018. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for his right foot peroneal nerve damage.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for various conditions, finding that new and relevant evidence was not presented to support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical stenosis with myelopathy and myelomalacia is granted secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with IVDS. The rating for lumbosacral strain with IVDS remains at 20 percent, but a separate compensable rating is granted for neurological impairment of the right lower extremity. Ratings for left hip degenerative arthritis are also granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for lumbosacral strain, right ankle strain, and left ankle strain due to unclear functional loss during examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether his current back, knee, and hip disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle sprain. The Veteran must provide new medical opinions addressing these issues.