service connection for sleep apnea is granted

We also connect veterans with independent medical professionals in our referral network for medical examinations, disability evaluations, and credible independent medical opinions and nexus statements (medical nexus letters) for a wide range of disability conditions. caused or made worse by your active duty military service OR. Veterans ask me more questions about sleep apnea than almost any other question about VA Benefits Law. Any advice on getting sleep apnea service connected? My claim was approved first time submitting. Thats $901.83 a month. The resulting reduction in sleep quality and in the bodys supply of oxygen can have serious consequences on health and quality of life. I am service connected for chronic sinusitis with a 30% rating. I met with my expert who offered opinion on my behalf and she was amazed by the decision, but not surprise by the level in which the VA are denying veterans SP claims. Joints and muscles can have a lot of pain during flare-ups, and, due to the fatigue, mobility may not be something a patient can easily do. My sleep apnea is worsened when I lie on my back and I still have loss of breath. endstream endobj startxref Veterans with CPAP machines have often fallen into the trap of believing that their use of the CPAP will be enough to qualify their claim with the VA. presentit neatly andpersuasivelyto the VA. BVA denied VAbenefits for sleep apnea in 76% of the appeals. * Can I service connect sleep apnea without a sleep study in service? At one point sleep apnea was the most prevalent service-connected respiratory disability for which claims were submitted to the VA. uuid:7e8f97fd-fbb3-41de-a1ee-403277269d1a In the year thatI spent researching theSleep ApneaField Manual, I learned that there are 39 medical conditions common among Veterans thatcan cause or aggravate sleep apnea. Also, to check for the cause of fatigue a doctor may do physical examinations such as an exercise stress test to check on the function of the heart and lungs. I learned that to win your Sleep Apnea claim, you are going to have to put your Sleep Apnea Claim together right. Wc%X$(:ss!LCO^?4d *$ Veterans are assigned a 0, 30, 50, or 100 percent rating depending on the severity . If that is similar to your situation, how do you show that link (nexus) between what was going on with you during service and the actual diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea you now have? Strategic Veteran would like to help you sort out what you may be able to claim and the best way to go about it. If you want to learn how to implement these strategies to get the VA benefits you deserve, click here to speak with a VA claim expert for free. VA denied it again (2nd) in late 2016 No treatment in service, VA totally ignoring evidence submitted. You will need to follow one of the paths to service connection, which will likely require lay evidence and expert medical evidence. <>/Parent 3 0 R/Type/Page/Contents 4 0 R/Tabs/S/Resources<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/Font<>>>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Rotate 0>> Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Veteran Success Managers having gone through our programs. Want More Information about VA Sleep Apnea? Therefore, records of an in-service injury, illness or other events that could have caused the sleep apnea condition are essential. YEP!!! OY&/Ov{"3 tz0{r F~2AhtAMR|ED8l .~h7564Ri;:4UY)')dXxrDWm If you have central sleep apnea or complex sleep apnea, the approach will be a little different since the science is different as well. They denied injections the doctor recommended to ease my pain. I talked to hundreds of Veterans who had been denied VAsleep apnea compensation. Veterans can also prove service connection for sleep apnea by showing that their sleep apnea began in service using service medical records, or by providing a nexus opinion from a medical professional that links their current diagnosis of sleep apnea to signs or symptoms they experienced in service. Columbus, OH: 100 E. Campus View Boulevard, Suite #250, Columbus, OH, 43235 Service connection on a secondary basis requires evidence of aggravation or causation.This requires that the secondary disability be shown to be proximately due to or proximately aggravated by another service-connected disability. Heres what I mean in BVA decision after BVA decision, I saw examples ofVeterans that take a look at the VA Ratings Tables, see that they can get a 50%VArating for sleep apnea with CPAP. Thats what Sleep Apnea does while you are sleeping, you stop breathing. fight to get their sleep apnea service-connected. Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! (In many cases, amedical expert report or opinion may be crucial to success). I spent nearly a yearresearching Veterans and their Sleep Apnea claims. Battle of DUAL-EXPERTS Chris, you called it!!! You're not alone. This may cause dizziness, weakness, fainting while standing or sitting, as well as vision becoming blurry or seeing spots. Sleep apnea is a medically complex disorder. Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: The proper medical explanation of the origin of the veterans sleep apnea, Lay AND Medical detailing of the symptoms experienced from sleep apnea affecting the veteran since the onset of the condition in the service until the present day. Cardiomegaly enlargement of the heart makes me thing of a damage resulting from a chronic sleep apnea condition. We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Its no secret, I have written THE book onhow to file a VAdisability claim for sleep apnea. I have had cardiomegly X-rays while on active duty. See R. at 8-9. The VA has also given me a 0% disability for service connected IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis . A medical nexus (i.e., link) between their sleep apnea and the in-service event, injury, or illness; Once service connection is awarded, sleep apnea is then rated under 38 CFR 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6847 - Sleep Apnea Syndromes (obstructive, central, mixed). Your email address will not be published. That is how I suggest you handle this situation. In our experience, OSA denials are almost always due to one or more of these five gaps: Fortunately, there are simple strategies you can employ to address these factorseven if the VA has already denied your VA claim for sleep apnea. Deland, FL: 1607 South State Road 15A Suite 12 Deland, FL 32720, Satellite Offices Since 2016, VA Claims Insider has helped thousands of Veterans just like you get the VA rating and compensation they deserve in less time. Thanks to additions to the VA presumptive list, you may be able to presumptively service-connect rhinitis, sinusitis, rhinosinusitis or asthma if you served in particular theaters during specified time periods. and Coronavirus. You are going to have to get a LOT of 5-Star Evidence. Physical therapy can be given to help maintain and improve mobility. Complimentary therapies such as meditation, gentle massage, deep breathing, or relaxation therapies may be beneficial to help reduce symptoms. Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can have a huge impact on a persons life and those around them. Tender lymph nodes usually in the neck and underarms. In fact, sleep deprivation is a common form of torture, as many of us know all too well. Weight gain can be tied to several different conditions. . My emphysema is connected. Scenario 4: The Veteran has one or more conditions service-connected, and is claiming that those conditions CAUSED the sleep apnea. Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! In our opinion, the only time a veteran should pursue direct service connection for sleep apnea is if you had a sleep study performed while on active duty, which confirmed the presence of a sleep apnea condition (medically diagnosed) during active-duty service. The third part can be satisfied with a nexus Letter from a qualified medical professional, as noted above. In this guide, we'll explore how to get a VA Rating for Insomnia even if youve already filed or been denied benefits in the past. This illness can be hard to diagnose due to its seemingly unrelated symptoms, but do not let that discourage you. Learn what youve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation youve earned for your service. I filed to reopen my SA claim in 2016. For instance, often sleep apnea presents itself in those who have been suffering from PTSD. Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! That's what Veteran Lee G. did - Lee's VA claim changed when he read my Sleep Apnea book: "Chris gave me the knowledge to file a claim for Sleep Apnea. Sleep studies can be done to rule out Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or other sleep disorders preventing restful sleep. . Medical opinions will be CRUCIAL, as these are not NECESSARY connections. Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Veteran Success Managers having gone through our programs. How to Connect Sleep Apnea to Military Service. 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! NOW ITS YOUR TURN. The blockage is believed to occur when the muscles in the back of the throat become overly relaxed. If you are lucky, you start breathing again. However, there are more causes of Cardiomegaly than sleep apnea, so you will want a doctors medical opinoino as to whether your Cardiomegaly is related to a chronic sleep breathing disorder, or has some other origin. There are 3 things that the human body cannot live or function without: Blood/Oxygen, Food/Water and Sleep. Sometimes claims are appealed and remanded several times, which can cause a claim to drag on for years. Do you have questions about how to service connect sleep apnea claims? endstream Washington, D.C.: 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C 20006 This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. They are ALL experiencing a Perfect Storm of Sleep Apnea problems: breathing disorders, mental health conditions, heart conditions and diabetes are all causing an epidemic of Sleep Apnea in our Vietnam Veterans. solid foundation of Lay and Medical Evidence, read hundreds, if not thousands, of Veterans C-Files, Put it to Rest! I believe the two are connected. 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. Our firm was founded in 1986 in Orlando, Florida. The biggest mistake most veterans make in their service-connection for sleep apnea claims is in expecting the VA to take them at their word. 56 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<729BA82B1983FD4B95AA1B8BF2E87A7F>]/Index[38 30]/Info 37 0 R/Length 93/Prev 108595/Root 39 0 R/Size 68/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream lJ[bKeZ?LF;$Zm]=_v-ed,4cX'fd dx|F'bow+P2]yt?d(,"O49&ZSrN Alow4Qg, =5j6y-|#@T0^])0lVLi>C %+QYY/8.+9 } u& 5t=tibdx:TD?pXg,Q>UR{KE|/K(*k endobj This means they make their claim without providing much proof. Box 449, Deland, FL 32721, Orlando, FL: 605 E. Robinson Street Suite 635, Orlando, FL 32801 I do not response to Individual claim and legal questions, although I do catalog them for post / video ideas. You cut off oxygen to the brain and blood, and other body systems break down. You can lose a kidney, and live a full and complete life. Symptoms can become worse with exertion by either physical or mental activity, such as going shopping and having to take a nap in the car before driving home, or staying on task at work and needing the evenings and weekends to recover, taking a shower and becoming bed bound for a couple of days afterward. I talked to several doctors and sleep experts. Or perhaps when they realize that Sleep Apnea is going to be as big an issue for our current generation of Veterans asAgent Orange related conditions are to Vietnam Veterans, they will take it seriously. Another theory is a hormonal imbalance because elevated hormones are seen in the blood work of those who have CFS, but the importance of this is unknown as well. The VA uses two options for rating most sleep apnea claims. They all treated me as though I was family and helped me with my work comp case in more ways than the average would have.Thank you Jason and Thank you Tina! Youre welcome, Sam! Will be some time before answer but getting all the info I can. 7 0 obj If you use a CPAP machine, then this should warrant a 50% rating. 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). 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. Since that time, we have provided compassionate I think that far too many raters and BVA judges think of sleep apnea as made up medicine. Thanks for your concern and the blog. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! endstream endobj 42 0 obj <>stream Heck, I get an email or more a day from a Veteran that says this: My Sleep Apnea claimwas not granted. Result: Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, secondary to service-connected GERD, with history of esophagitis and hematemesis, is granted. The VA and frankly most of America still thinksof Sleep Apnea asa condition for theobese male with a big neck. They think wrongly that sleep apnea is not the kind of disability associated with a wounded warrior. The second part can be satisfied with your existing service-connected disability rated at 0 percent or higher. For instance, the rating criteria for 100% disability rating for chronic fatigue syndrome detailing debilitating and incapacitating fatigue, cognitive impairments, or a mixture of other similar symptoms severe enough to restrict your daily life and self-care significantly. Camp Lejeune Lawsuit. In this article, well help you understand the top 5 reasons OSA claims are deniedand even better, what to do about it if youve received a denial for your OSA claim. * SeveralDesert Storm, OIF, and OEF Clients have hadTraumatic Brain Injuries whichinterfere with how their Nervous System works, and as a result, have a different kind of Sleep Apnea (oversimplified, where the brains signals to breathe dont make it through to the lungs). Do You Owe Your Severance Pay Back to the VA? You may eventually get there on your own, but it may be after a series of decisions by the Regional Office and Board of Veterans Appeals. 38 U.S.C.A. 7@$4hvF=/Y 9FsxS@*ia:?4AC,bT_r8{4 X|rGPr-N^j!DU 5|V!"D3Q)fE&Jl`Z9s^Hva$rq%[sRRw8r This opens doors for many veterans who were unable to service-connect these respiratory conditions previously.