Even if yours is obstructive sleep apnea like we discussed here, there are still other ways to service connection other than proving you had sleep apnea in service. . Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. Box 449, Deland, FL 32721, Orlando, FL: 605 E. Robinson Street Suite 635, Orlando, FL 32801 And that means you are going to have to think through your sleep apnea claim. The VA is also wary of the fact that sleep apnea may well have been a condition suffered by the veteran before their time in the military. Veterans are assigned a 0, 30, 50, or 100 percent rating depending on the severity . NOT GOING TO GIVE UP, I filed a FOIA for a copy VA experts opinion in preparation for another NOD, this time Im requesting a formal face to face meeting with DRO. Regardless of whether you are dealing with OSA, its important to pursue all the benefits available to you as a veteran. Weight gain can be tied to several different conditions. You only need to establish that your sleep apnea is at least as likely as not: A nexus letter is an evidence-based document prepared by a medical professional that helps to establish a connection between the veterans current disability and either military service (for direct service connection) or another rated disability (for secondary service connection). Brooklyn, NY: 300 Cadman Plaza West, One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 (In one study, 69.2% of veterans were assessed as being at high risk for OSA.). However, if you use one, it does provide you with a higher rating. Viet Nam Vet. If you or a loved one suffers from CFS do not be afraid to report symptoms to your doctor. THANK YOU AGAIN. Joints and muscles can have a lot of pain during flare-ups, and, due to the fatigue, mobility may not be something a patient can easily do. A credible nexus letter fulfills one of the requirements for secondary service connection for sleep apnea: medical nexus evidence establishing a connection between the service-connected disability and the current disability (sleep apnea). In our experience, if you did NOT have a sleep study while on active duty and you did not get a medical diagnosis of sleep apnea in the military, you should only attempt to service-connect your sleep apnea VA claim SECONDARY to another service-connected disability. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Your email address will not be published. endstream We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! Whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to the While proving service-connection for sleep apnea claim accepted is no longer as difficult as it once was, it still is wise to not take your chances and get it right the first time. If you have sleep apnea and sinusitis/rhinitis, your next step would be to get a doctors medical opinion supporting that your service-connected sinusitis/rhinitis caused or aggravates your sleep apnea. I am also service connected for chronic bronchitis with a rating of 0 %. Finally, sleep apnea is a complex condition that can present itself differently in the case of each veteran. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! 56 0 obj
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Sounds easy enough, right? Which primary disabilities make the best claims for secondary service connection of sleep apnea? If you have central sleep apnea or complex sleep apnea, the approach will be a little different since the science is different as well. In our experience, an upper respiratory disability is one of the easiest choices for claiming OSA secondary to another service-connected disability. Since there is no cure for CFS the treatment focuses on relief of the symptoms. I disagree. =XG\b?pjbAp{SB~,L8G2*`'x;7i2uPC=Lo:ITXwKVm
/! While sleep apnea on its own can be difficult to connect, you have the option of connecting it to another condition already claimed. lJ[bKeZ?LF;$Zm]=_v-ed,4cX'fd
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Alow4Qg, =5j6y-|#@T0^])0lVLi>C %+QYY/8.+9 } u& 5t=tibdx:TD?pXg,Q>UR{KE|/K(*k Concerningly, it is also one of the conditions most rejected by the VA, as the vast majority are regularly turned down. Why? 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. These temporary breathing disruptions or lapses can occur from dozens to hundreds of times per night. Make sure to have your sleep study done. .{}p/=jyWG0j#kdLl%*~
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G(7H^1rnWI\8@I8w Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By showing that the sleep apnea was proximately caused or proximately aggravated by another service-connected disability you have a better chance of building your claim. Youll need to make the call on direct service connection versus secondary service connection.
This opens doors for many veterans who were unable to service-connect these respiratory conditions previously. put your Sleep Apnea Claim together right. Im 50% connected with PTSD and currently have an appeal in for 100% on PTSD. Youre welcome, Sam! To prove that sleep apnea is service connected,the smart Veteran isgoing to have to connect the dots for them. Cincinnati, OH: 300 E Business Way, Suite 200, Summit Woods Corporate Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45241 Studies have shown that it is morecommon for Gulf War Veteransin the Southwest Asia theater compared to non-Gulf War Veterans to develop CFS, but the reason for this remains unknown. In order to help you with your secondary claim, we have put together this Insiders Guide! The VA uses two options for rating most sleep apnea claims. endobj endstream
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Heck, I get an email or more a day from a Veteran that says this: My Sleep Apnea claimwas not granted. In September 1978, she was granted service connection for bilateral chondromalacia, a breakdown of cartilage in the knee joint that causes pain when bones . My sleep apnea is worsened when I lie on my back and I still have loss of breath. I haven't met anybody, who's been in the military, who's worked with the VA who couldn't benefit from this service. I dont know if Im authorize a second run at the DRO or go straight to BVA. * How the VA willrate your sleep apnea condition after granting Service Connection. Do you have questions about how to service connect sleep apnea claims? And you are going to have to presentit neatly andpersuasivelyto the VA. This is because the fact is that many veterans suffer from PTSDand sleep problems are a common symptom of PTSD. Making the Sausage: Heres what you need to know about new VA Claims regulations. Medications can be prescribed that help with depression caused by living with CFS, also low dose antidepressants have been shown to improve sleep patterns. However, the VA. <>stream Direct service connection for sleep apnea may be granted for veterans who can show that their sleep apnea began in service using service medical records, and by providing a nexus opinion from a qualified medical professional that links sleep apnea to events or exposures in service. Your VA Sleep Apnea Claim, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). *To prove your Sleep Apnea is service connected without a sleep study in the military? The VA Claims Medical Team specializes in this, sign up here to take the first step in your VA claim! There are three components to proving direct service connection for any VA disability claim: For the legal principles of direct service connection, see 38 CFR 3.303. Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Veteran Success Managers having gone through our programs. about the threat of COVID-19 Along with the record of the potential cause must also be a proven medical link between sleep apnea and the occurrence. * What if it wasnt diagnosed until years after service can I service connect it then? OY&/Ov{"3 tz0{r
F~2AhtAMR|ED8l .~h7564Ri;:4UY)')dXxrDWm If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! Keep up the great work, and remember, the only way to lose is to give up! Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Center Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Nexus is simply a connection or series of connections linking two or more things. Youre arent alone. While youmay have been a loud snorer or had other sleep difficulties in service that are normally associated with sleep apnea, if you are like most service members you probablydid not undergo a sleep study and get a formal diagnosis before your discharge from service. If youre experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, and suspect your sleep apnea arose from your time on active duty (or was or aggravated by a currently service-connected disability), you should consider seeking a diagnosis and pursuing compensation for this disability. Finally, please remember that email may not be secure and may be subject to review by unwanted intruders. It's almost as much work - and it can often take as much dedication. We share our top tips and a step-by-step guide to a successful claim for obstructive sleep apnea! All Rights Reserved. ; claim denied; hearing aids supplied but disability denied;pre-diabetic; high blood pressure. * WHERE to get the Lay Evidence that will give REAL POWER to your Sleep Apnea Claim. Just think about our veterans from older eras. How to Connect Sleep Apnea to Military Service. Philadelphia, PA: 1 International Plaza, Suite 550, Philadelphia, PA, 19113 In fact, winning your VA sleep apnea claim can feel like you just led your team to victory in the World Cup. One of the most straightforward ways to achieve service connection of a particular disease or disability is to show that you had that disease or disability while in service. Translation: 3 out of every 4 of youwill see your sleep apnea claims and appeals deniedunless you learn, how to prove your Sleep Apnea Claim the right way. See our article Burn Pit Presumptive Conditions. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 I stated on my retirement physical that I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night. This may cause dizziness, weakness, fainting while standing or sitting, as well as vision becoming blurry or seeing spots. Your email address will not be published. And that means you are going to have to think through your sleep apnea claim. Some Veterans are taking it a little further and going to the VA with this: I have had problems breathing and sleeping since I was stationed near burn-pits in Iraq and now I have sleep apnea. VA claim for sleep apnea denied? * A 5-Star medical opinion, resting on 5-Star Lay and Medical Evidence, that demonstrates HOW your Sleep Apnea is related to military service. Once you are clear on the type of apnea, you should talk with your doctor further about what he or she thinks is the primary cause for it.