The Board remands the service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and coronary artery disease to obtain additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the March 2024 VA medical opinion is inadequate and thus insufficient on which basis to grant service connection, as it relied on the absence of an in-service sleep study. The June 2024 VA medical opinion was also found inadequate for lack of rationale.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2024
- Citation
- 24031904
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II and remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and tendinitis, cervical spine spondylosis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar scoliosis and lumbar spine degenerative changes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as it requires further development and evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD, granted an earlier effective date of August 14, 2024, for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD, and denied other claims including entitlement to an effective date prior to April 3, 2025, for the grant of a 100 percent rating evaluation for CAD.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.