The Veteran's appeal is dismissed with respect to the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for bipolar disorder and entitlement to an effective date of May 15, 2015 for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The issue of an effective date of August 6, 2014 for the grant of a 50 percent rating for bipolar disorder is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for bipolar disorder before the Board could make a decision. The effective date requested for obstructive sleep apnea was granted, but erroneously denied by VA in the Statement of the Case (SOC).
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2018
- Citation
- 18148196
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 18148196.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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