The Board has remanded the case for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type 2, and coronary artery disease.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the aggravation aspect of secondary service connection in their initial opinion, which was held by the Court to be insufficient. The Board now requires an addendum opinion that addresses both direct causation and aggravation aspects.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes mellitus, type 2, coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2022
- Citation
- 22009869
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 22009869.
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 the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
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