The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and asthma are rated under a single 50-percent disability rating. The criteria for separate ratings under DC 6602 (asthma) and DC 6847 (obstructive sleep apnea) do not apply due to overlapping manifestations of breathing difficulties.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea requires the use of a CPAP machine, which is rated at 50 percent under DC 6847. The Veteran's asthma does not meet the criteria for higher ratings as it only warrants a 30-percent disability rating based on FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC values.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Asthma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 30, 2018
- Citation
- 1805777
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 1805777.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for bladder cancer in remission with urinary incontinence and denied an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for asthma.
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