The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's preexisting sleep apnea was aggravated by his subsequent periods of service. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.
The deciding factor: A VA examination is required to determine whether there is clear and unmistakable evidence demonstrating that the Veteran's preexisting obstructive sleep apnea was not permanently increased in severity beyond its natural progression during his subsequent periods of service.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 30, 2013
- Citation
- 1331370
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 1331370.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and potential issues with the medical opinions provided. The claims are being returned to the Regional Office for further action.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in a February 2019 rating decision. The appeal was improperly docketed and dismissed due to non-compliance with essential claims-processing rules.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic obstructive sleep apnea and bronchitis with calcified hilar lymph node, as well as right knee arthritis and patellofemoral syndrome, are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding diagnoses and etiology.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic obstructive sleep apnea had its initial onset during his active duty, and service connection is granted.
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