The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is reopened, but the case is remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether her sleep apnea is related to her service-connected benign snoring syndrome. The Gulf War undiagnosed illness claims are also remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions on the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and her service-connected benign snoring syndrome, as well as whether her Gulf War undiagnosed illness symptoms are part of a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, chronic fatigue, headaches, joint pain, cardiovascular signs, gastrointestinal disorders, menstrual disorders, muscle pain, skin condition, sleep disturbances
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19100608
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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