Your email address will not be published. Sleep Disturbances in Veterans: the Hurricane Threatening the Veterans Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most noticeable signal for those who live alone. You're not alone. No current sleep study within the last 12 months #2. 11:30 Why this obstructive sleep apnea claim was denied Sleep disordered breathing, as well as the myriad of symptoms linked with it (such as sleepiness and fatigue), can all exacerbate the relationship between sleep apnea and PTSD. No proof of service connection (missing a nexus letter), #4 Lack of active-duty documentation and medical evidence, #5 Filing for direct service connection vs secondary service-connection (secondary to an already service-connected disability). Cleveland, OH: 600 Superior Ave. East, Fifth Third Building, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH, 44114 * Any damage to your nose, face, mouth, throat, neck, chest, or diaphragm can cause the airway to be obstructed, or the airflow to be limited. One common scenario is when a veteran tries to claim sleep apnea as a primary condition when there was no diagnosis during active-duty service. List of the Top 5 Secondary Conditions to PTSD. Required fields are marked *. The same goes for depression and anxietyor any of the 33 mental health conditions rated by the VAwhich can be highly disruptive to sleep. VA Claims insider is an education-based coaching/consulting company. Travis Studdard is an attorney who focuses on representing veterans in VA disability compensation claims. The 2 veterans had very different results at the BVA. Being honest and thorough is important so everything can be properly documented. Its sleep apnea that appears by itself, with no apparent causation. Deland, FL: 1607 South State Road 15A Suite 12 Deland, FL 32720, Satellite Offices Sleep apnea treatment depends on the type and severity of the condition. The Department denies these claims because they do not have sufficient evidence to conclusively say that a Veteran is suffering from sleep apnea without a diagnosis, even if the Veteran exhibits the symptoms of the disorder. Since this condition is nearly epidemic among veterans, its important to learn what it takes to get a VA disability for sleep apnea, as well as how the condition may affect you. Hypersomnolence (i.e., excessive daytime sleepiness), Mental anxiety and/or depression related to combat, Use of alcohol, sedatives, certain medications or tranquilizers. Required fields are marked *. This sleep-disordered breathing leads to poor sleep quality and is a risk factor for the poor quality of life. There are many factors during and after service that make veterans vulnerable to this condition. If youre dealing with sleep apnea as a secondary condition to PTSD, you arent alone! You may already be able to see how understanding the roots of your Sleep Apnea diagnosis can DRIVE your sleep apnea claim. Washington, D.C.: 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C 20006 He is aformer active duty Air Force officerwith extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Was it inhaling the air around the Burn Pits? Weve supported more than 15,000 veterans to win their claims. Copyright 2023 VA Claims Insider, LLC. Copyright 2023 Hill & Ponton, P.A.. All Rights Reserved. VA Sleep Apnea Claim - Deniedagain : r/Veterans - Reddit document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2016 - VeteransLawBlog.org - All Rights Reserved | Terms & Conditions | Legal Disclaimer, The Veterans Law Blog is NOT a law firm. Sleep Apnea Denial Looking for some direction from people that have received rating for sleep apnea. Accomplish you want to succeed in your Sleep Apnea VE Impairment Claim? of veterans with PTSD also have a co-occuring sleep disturbance, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A VA claim for sleep apnea can be denied for many reasons. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). Veteran Service-Connected Sleep Apnea Claims on the Rise An increasing number of sleep apnea claims are cropping up among younger veterans. Spouse; Family Members; Friends; Colleagues; Other Service . If youre claiming sleep apnea as a secondary condition, make sure you already have a medical diagnosis before you make your claim. If you have a service-connected disability aggravating or causing your sleep apnea, you may be eligible to get service connection for sleep apnea on a secondary basis. Our process takes the guesswork out of filing a VA disability claim and supports you every step of the way in building a fully-developed claim (FDC)so you can increase your rating faster! * She sought treatment, and after a couple of sleep studies, was diagnosed with OSA Obstructive Sleep Apnea. High Blood Pressure Secondary to Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What Veterans Should Know Are you suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and hypertension? Bringing someone with you to the appointment may also be useful. The most common reason for denial of secondary claims is not establishing a strong enough connection between the service-connected disability and the sleep apnea. Learn how your comment data is processed. Sleep apnea is extremely common among veterans, as the disorder is frequently caused or exacerbated by time in service. What made the difference was that the veteran inVA sleep apnea claim #1 lacked ANY lay evidence of sleep apnea symptomatology from service to diagnosis. Conditions like COPD (due to asbestos. For the most part, if you're a disabled veteran with a sleep apnea claim, the 50% sleep apnea rating is your best-case scenario. Sleep Apnea Denial : r/Veterans - Reddit However, in February 2022, VA proposed changes that would reclassify sleep apnea ratings to 0 percent, 10 percent, 30 percent, or 50 percent, with 100 percent for sleep apnea seeming even harder to qualify for. The most common symptoms include: There are a multitude of potential causes of sleep apnea in adults, but in veterans specifically, the causes could include: To confirm a diagnosis of sleep apnea, a sleep study must be given to show that you are experiencing breathing problems, and other sleep disorders and health problems have been ruled out. The "Bridge Claim": How to use Obesity to Service Connect Obstructive If you are among the former military service members living with sleep apnea, you may be eligible for veterans disability compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Youll need to make the call on direct service connection versus secondary service connection. The DBQ allows an examiner at a C&P exam to check boxes next to descriptions that best express how your sleep apnea is affecting you. When he got to the BVA the following evidence was in his C-File: A VA C&P exam concluding that sleep apnea was less likely than not related to military service. The VA rates all cases individually, but usually follow a guide of qualifying conditions. For now, these ratings are merely a proposal so stay tuned to this page while we update. Lets take an actual veterans sleep apnea claim (Ive disguised this veterans identity because this is a true story). In this case, there must be a medical nexus to link the sleep apnea to their already service-connected disability. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The VA Regional Office denied his claim. Want More Help with Your Sleep Apnea VA Claim? Since you have already received a denial then you would have to submit a supplemental claim with new evidence and new ARGUMENTS. This can range from CPAP therapy, lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and others. Was your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) VA claim denied? Here are some of the most common symptoms of central and obstructive sleep apnea: Morning headache Having a dry mouth when you wake up Loud snoring Periods in which you stop breathing when you sleep Difficulty staying asleep Trouble paying attention while awake Irritability Daytime sleepiness Sexual dysfunction Citation Nr: 21055584 Decision Date: 09/08/21 Archive Date: 09/08/21 DOCKET NO. Denied Disability Claim for Sleep Apnea December 28, 2015 Jim, I retired in 2011 with 22 active duty yrs of service. Now, it wasnt just the mere existence of lay evidence of sleep apnea symptomatology from service discharge to diagnosis that made the difference. In our experience, an upper respiratory disability is one of the easiest choices for claiming OSA secondary to another service-connected disability. At its core, Complex, or mixed, Sleep Apnea is a type of sleep apnea with mixed causes. A disability rating at any given percentage (e.g., 30%, 50%, 100%) pays based on that percentage, no matter what condition(s) gives you that rating. There isnt a single rating for sleep apnea, but a range of ratings depending on the severity of your condition (as is true for other disability ratings). study conducted by the VA Healthcare System for San Diego and National Center for PTSD. These machines create airway pressure to help the individual breathe throughout the night. Direct service connection for sleep apnea can be difficult to obtain, as most successful cases require a diagnosis while on active duty. Many veterans dont even know what sleep apnea is while on active duty, let alone that they need a sleep study to prove they have it! When he got to the BVA the following evidence was in his C-File: Weve supported more than 15,000 veterans to win their claims and increase their ratings. Brian Reeseis a VA benefits expert, author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned, andfounder of VA Claims InsiderThe Most Trusted Name in Education-Based Resources for Veterans.. Br."). What DOES Drive the VA Sleep Apnea Claim? Pittsburgh, PA: 201 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235 Ask your private doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist in your area (a good option if you have private health insurance). Its FREE to get started, so click Go Elite Now below to complete our 3-step intake process. In our experience, most VA disability claims are won or lost based on medical evidence. For veterans who have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea without a sleep study by the VA, the veteran may have to undergo a sleep study done by the VA in order to confirm the diagnosis for benefit purposes. The denial of disability claims for unconfirmed, undiagnosed sleep apnea is a regular occurrence for the VA. This means you do NOT currently have the VA disability rating and compensation YOU deserve, and you could be missing out on thousands of dollars of tax-free compensation and benefits each month. Also see our post What is a Service-Connected Disability? Learn how your comment data is processed. Including a nexus letter for sleep apnea can be an important part of your claim to strengthen your case for a sleep apnea VA rating. The team at Hill & Ponton may be able to assist you with a denial of benefits for sleep apnea. What kind of CPAP machine does the VA use? 17-59 208 DATE: September 8, 2021 REMAND Entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea is remanded. The independent opinion of a private medical professional can also influence the C&P examiners medical opinion, as well as the VA rating officials final disability decision. 76% were Denied or Remanded for more evidence. Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim It occurs when airflow is impaired repeatedly during sleep due to blockage in the upper airway. PTSD is well-known for causing sleep deprivation, chronic stress, and an increase in body mass or obesity due to prescribed medications. Keeping a list of your symptoms and treatments can be beneficial evidence to submit. Sleep apnea and secondary service connection. or particulate exposure in burn pits, for example), blocks the air path at the point where the lungs move oxygen into the blood stream. EXCELLENT INFO SIR AND I WILL USE IT IN MY CLAIM!!!!! What is the current VA rating for sleep apnea? The VA Regional Office denied his claim. REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION The Veteran had active service from July 1952 to March 1954. Your Sleep Apnea VA Rating A Guide to Getting a - VA Claims Insider The constant interruption of breathing can lead to reduced sleep quality, short-term memory loss, irritability and even mood disorders, as well as major metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. By covering all the bases in your sleep apnea VA claim processhaving your sleep apnea diagnosed with a sleep study and connecting your sleep apnea to a service-connected condition with medical evidenceyoull set yourself up for success to get a service-connected VA rating for sleep apnea. VETERANS VOICE: Sleep apnea claims often denied - The Leaf-Chronicle Were here for disabled veterans exploring eligibility for increased VA disability benefits and who wish to learn more about that process. Its free to join and we dont win unless you win.). Check out the VA Sleep Apnea Field Manual. Dear Veteran, Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: According to our data, 8/10 (80%) of veterans reading this message right now are underrated by the VA. In this blog post, we will discuss how. I filed the claim as as secondary to GERD a pre-existing already disability. Most veterans are underrated for their disabilities and therefore not getting the compensation theyre due. These Veterans Sleep Apnea Appeals Stats Will Shock You! 20 percent disability rating: $327.99 per month. This places a disabled veteran in the VA's Group 1 for treatment. Since sleep apnea can correlate with conditions like heart disease and obesity, its important to seek treatment options. Seattle, WA: 506 2nd Ave,Suite 1400,Seattle, WA 98104. www.va.gov There are risk factors that overlap in both disorders affecting sleep apnea and symptoms of PTSD, oftentimes aggravating the conditions. VA regional office denied the claims and she appealed. Get service-connected, get compensated and get the care you need! How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! A 50% rating would be given if treatment was ineffective or you were unable to use therapies due to another condition. Though the path from your nose to your lungs is a short one, there are a lot of parts of your body that air has to pass through. These sleep disturbances can occur from tens to hundreds of times per night. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 If you prefer a paper copy, you can get it direct from the publisher by clicking here, or buy it on Amazon, by clicking on the link below: If its all too much and youre ready to hire an attorney that is accredited to handle VA Claims, and who focuses a lot of his firmslaw practice on VA SleepApnea claims, check out the Attig Steel law firm and request a consultation about your VA sleep apnea appeal.