The Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA is denied as there is no current diagnosis of OSA or sleep apnea.,Service connection for migraines was granted with an effective date of May 6, 2022. The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for migraines and GERD is denied.,Service connection for GERD was granted with an effective date of April 11, 2022. The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for migraines and GERD is denied.,The initial rating for migraine headaches has been increased to 50 percent, effective May 6, 2022.,The initial rating for GERD has been increased to 30 percent, effective April 11, 2022.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of OSA or sleep apnea in the Veteran's medical records. The Veteran was not competent to diagnose himself and lacks specialized knowledge or training.,The earliest possible effective date for service connection for migraines is May 6, 2022, as there were no prior claims filed before this date.,There are no indications from the record that the Veteran filed a claim for GERD prior to April 11, 2022. The earliest possible effective date for service connection for GERD is April 11, 2022.,The Veteran's lay statements indicate he began experiencing migraine headaches during his active service. Therefore, the date entitlement arose predated May 6, 2022.,The Veteran's lay statements indicate he began experiencing GERD or GERD-like symptoms during his active service. Therefore, the date entitlement arose predated April 11, 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Migraines, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26004261
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 A26004261.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial evaluation for tension headaches to include migraines is granted, with a rating of 50 percent effective from May 23, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for vertigo and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's hearing loss is not rated higher than 10 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for OSA and insomnia must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and opinions, as well as a failure to obtain TERA opinions on all relevant exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and a separate rating for chronic pulmonary embolism due to inadequate VA examinations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.