The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service or a service-connected disability. The gastrointestinal disorder claim was remanded due to incomplete information.,Service connection for the gastrointestinal disorder (claimed as GERD, gastritis and hiatal hernia) remains pending and will be addressed in a future decision.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no evidence of obstructive sleep apnea during service or any link to a service-connected condition. The gastrointestinal disorder claim was remanded due to incomplete information regarding the onset and relationship to service.,Service connection for the gastrointestinal disorder will be reconsidered based on additional medical opinions addressing whether it had its onset in service, is related to an in-service disease, event, or injury, and if medication for a service-connected condition has caused or aggravated the disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Gastrointestinal disorder (GERD, gastritis, hiatal hernia)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20067292
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The headache claim was remanded for further examination.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 60 percent from January 27, 2016 to July 7, 2022 for the Veteran's duodenal ulcer, duodenitis, gastritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
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