The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and has remanded the issue of service connection for bladder cancer, including its residuals and as due to exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has current obstructive sleep apnea or any current residuals of bladder cancer. The Board also finds that there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's presumed Agent Orange exposure and his bladder cancer, but acknowledges the possibility of such a connection.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, bladder cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19178965
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
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