The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, as the earliest possible effective dates were May 8, 2017, and September 5, 2014, respectively.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support an earlier effective date due to the lack of a formal or informal claim within one year of the original denials in 2014 and 2008.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25032727
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.
- 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 an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include MDD, as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as it requires further development and evidence.
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