The Board has remanded the case due to unresolved issues regarding the Veteran's sleep disorder and service-connected psychiatric disabilities, including distinguishing dysthymia and panic disorder from PTSD and opioid use disorder. The examiner is requested to address causation and aggravation of sleep apnea by these conditions.
The deciding factor: The decision was not explicitly about service connection but rather about clarifying the scope of service-connected psychiatric disability and addressing causation/aggravation issues related to sleep disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep disorder, dysthymia, panic disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001064
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for panic disorder, OSA, and hypertension as secondary to a service-connected condition. The claim for diabetes mellitus was denied.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for allergic rhinitis and lumbosacral or cervical strain was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the other issues were remanded for further evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial disability rating greater than 30 percent for service-connected psychiatric disabilities prior to November 1, 2023, as the AOJ has not adjudicated the Veteran's September 2023 supplemental claim in the first instance.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.