The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical records and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected anxiety disorder.
The deciding factor: The decision was made based on the need for updated VA treatment records, identification of relevant private medical records, and an addendum opinion to address the conflicting opinions provided in April 2015 and February 2019 regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected anxiety disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apneas (CSA), hypopneas, collectively as sleep disordered breathing (SDB)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19183334
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
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