The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea and remanded it for further development, including a VA examination. The Veteran's PTSD, hepatitis C, back disability, and bilateral foot disability are also being remanded for additional examinations and opinions. His TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with his PTSD rating claim.
The deciding factor: The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran’s sleep apnea claim but did not adjudicate its merits. The other issues were all remanded due to a lack of recent VA examinations or opinions related to these conditions, which are necessary for proper evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, PTSD, hepatitis C, bilateral foot disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21021435
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21021435.
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 of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim for major depression to encompass any mental health disability raised by the record and has remanded six issues for additional development.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
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