The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran needs a VA examination to provide an opinion on this issue.
The deciding factor: There was no medical opinion linking the OSA to the service-connected acquired psychiatric condition, which is required for service connection based on secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), unspecified depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, unspecified personality disorder, insomnia disorder, TBI
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2024
- Citation
- 24015611
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 24015611.
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 Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an insomnia disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia and alcohol use disorder caused his sleep apnea.
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