The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses related to septal/nasal surgery is denied as he does not have a service-connected disability and the surgery did not alleviate his obstructive sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The veteran's desire for the surgery was not medically indicated, and VA facilities were available to provide necessary care if needed. The results of the VA sleep study in June 1998 confirmed that the private surgery had no significant improvement on his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2001
- Citation
- 0127620
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0127620.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis and obstructive sleep apnea due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring additional development.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The headache claim was remanded for further examination.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
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