sleep apnea va claim denied

In fact, even if the Veteran inVA sleep apnea claim #2 had not had a private medical opinion, that lay evidence would have completely undercut the VA C&P examin that claimbecause that VA C&P opinion did NOT consider the lay statements of the ongoing and chronic symptoms of sleep apnea from discharge to diagnosis. The "Bridge Claim": How to use Obesity to Service Connect Obstructive You must have a medical statement from a doctor detailing how your sleep apnea is service-connected. PTSD - A study involving Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who visited a VA outpatient PTSD clinic found that 69% percent of them had a high risk for sleep apnea, and this risk increased with PTSD symptom severity. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! may be at higher risk for sleep apnea than the general population. In December 2007, he filed a claim to service connect Sleep Apnea, as secondary to service-connected PTSD. Even if you have a medical diagnosis during active-duty service, without a sleep study this is difficult to claim successfully. The private physician noted post-deployment symptomatology of sleep apnea, and opined that the Veterans Sleep Apnea was, at least as likely as not, related to the Veterans tours of duty in Iraq. * About 2 years after her discharge, she began having sleeping problems. In this post we'll explore how to get a service connected VA disability rating for Sleep Apnea secondary to Anxiety, even if you've already filed, been denied, or gave up. No current sleep study within the last 12 months, #2. The hard copy, if you would like to get that, is also the second editionyou can get the hard copy by clicking here. This is called a split-night sleep study. 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. Lets look a little deeper at OSA for a minute Obstructive Sleep Apnea is by far the most common type of Sleep Apnea that affects veterans. Accomplish you want to succeed in your Sleep Apnea VE Impairment Claim? If you meet the requirement of having a current diagnosis, you can obtain a service connection and VA rating for sleep apnea and receive disability benefits. As a veteran, youre four times more likely than other Americans to develop sleep apnea. Veterans Court reminds the VA: the BVA must adjudicate the logically related informal claim. Typically, sleep apnea symptoms are at their worst during REM Sleep due to the bodys naturally-occurring reduced muscle tone in the bodys airway. Lesson learned:Lay Evidence is the Bullet, and Medical Evidence is the rifle. The same goes for depression and anxietyor any of the 33 mental health conditions rated by the VAwhich can be highly disruptive to sleep. They are putting the cart before the horse. 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! REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is also sometimes known as deep sleep. Lets take an actual veterans sleep apnea claim (Ive disguised this veterans identity because this is a true story). VA Sleep Apnea claim denied : r/VeteransBenefits - Reddit An obstruction or a problem anywhere along that path of air, can cause Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Both disorders have risk factors that affect both sleep apnea and symptoms of PTSD, and the conditions can aggravate each other. Veteran Service-Connected Sleep Apnea Claims on the Rise An increasing number of sleep apnea claims are cropping up among younger veterans. However, VA has not identified literature to support inclusion of sleep apnea as a presumption at this time. The VA prescribes several different types of CPAP machines. Sleep Apnea VA Claim: What is the VA Disability Rating for Sleep Apnea? Seattle, WA: 506 2nd Ave,Suite 1400,Seattle, WA 98104. Also see our post on receiving a VA rating for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD. Some doctors may have you fill out a questionnaire about your sleep habits. In our experience, an upper respiratory disability is one of the easiest choices for claiming OSA secondary to another service-connected disability. You may already be able to see how understanding the roots of your Sleep Apnea diagnosis can DRIVE your sleep apnea claim. You will need medical evidence that shows what type of sleep apnea you have (obstructive, central or mixed), how severe it is and if you can show how it was caused by your service in . If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Posted May 20, 2022 (edited) 1. 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. San Jose, CA: 2880 Zanker Road, Ste. Therefore, a well-crafted nexus letter for sleep apnea is the single most crucial document a veteran can provide the VA adjudicator to help prove service connection on an at least as likely as not basis. Symptoms of Sleep Apnea Loud snoring Gasping for air during sleep Awakening with a dry mouth Morning headache Hypersomnolence, or excessive daytime sleepiness Difficulty concentrating Oftentimes, the symptoms of the three types of sleep apnea can overlap, making diagnosis more difficult. The disability rating youre given for sleep apnea is combined with any other disability ratings you have, if any, to give you an overall rating based on VA math. How do I prove VA disability for sleep apnea? NOW ITS YOUR TURN. He was denied support connectio nitrogen for sleep apneas by the BVA, despite extensive proof of treatment for sleep apnea away 2007 - 2014, at VE medical facilities. Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. How to Claim Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD - Rep for Vets www.va.gov How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! The causes of these disturbances may vary depending on which form of the condition you have: obstructive, central, or a mixed form of both. Exposure to materials such as dust and fumes, and the resulting rhinitis or sinusitis, is also a common issue for veterans thats associated with sleep apnea. Discuss your sleep issues with your primary care VA doctor and ask for a referral to a sleep specialist at the VA. 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). * She sought treatment, and after a couple of sleep studies, was diagnosed with OSA Obstructive Sleep Apnea. There are risk factors that overlap in both disorders affecting sleep apnea and symptoms of PTSD, oftentimes aggravating the conditions. This is rare, because most veterans dont realize they have sleep apnea until after theyve left military service. Conditions like COPD (due to asbestos or particulate exposure in burn pits, for example), blocks the air path at the point where the lungs move oxygen into the blood stream. Episodes where you stop breathing during sleep, Daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) or insomnia, Lack of focus or difficulty concentrating, A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study in VA medical records or private records, A nexus (link) shown via medical evidence establishing a connection between the service-connected disability and the current disability (in this case, sleep apnea), Sleep apnea secondary to medication side effects, A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed with a sleep study, A service-connected PTSD disability rating (or another service-connected mental health condition), A medical nexus establishing a connection between your PTSD and sleep apnea, A basic CPAP, which keeps pressure constant all night long, A bilevel device (BiPAP), which provides two levels of pressuremore when you breathe in and less when you breathe out, An auto-CPAP device, which changes pressure throughout the night based on your body position, sleep stage, and snoring, You have difficulty working and lose productivity during the day due to napping, You have to use a CPAP or other breathing machine at night, Your depression or anxiety, exacerbated by loss of sleep, affect your relationships and work, Your inability to focus or concentrate or loss of memory affects your job or your safety, Your disability is considered permanent by the VA, Your disability is considered static by the VA, Sleep apnea symptoms persist without material improvement for five or more years (this is known as a stabilized rating), You have a continuous sleep apnea rating for 20 years or more, The VA has reviewed your entire medical history. People with sleep apnea are four times more likely to have depression than people without a sleeping disorder. 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. If the first half of the nights results confirm you have sleep apnea, the second half of the night will utilize the PAP device to prepare you for ongoing treatment. Making the Sausage: Heres what you need to know about new VA Claims regulations. In April 2004, he wastreated after his military service ended for fatigue and insomnia. PTSD is well-known for causing sleep deprivation, chronic stress, and an increase in body mass or obesity due to prescribed medications. A C&P exam and a sleep apnea diagnosis are crucial to qualifying for the upper tiers of compensation. Medical evidence and documented medical records from a VAC&P exam will be necessary for the process of filing your claim and could even reveal other secondary conditions. Its an essential piece of evidence. In order to help you with your secondary claim, we have put together this Insiders Guide! By doing so, you necessarily figure out which in-service events are most important to tie to it for purposes of establishing the element of nexus in a service connection claim. Both sinusitis and rhinitis are linked to sleep apnea. 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. Type II Diabetes & Sleep Apnea Sleep apnea is proven to significantly reduce a persons quality of life (in one study, the reduction in quality of life was equivalent to that observed with diabetes or hypertension). The most documented VA percentages for sleep apnea are as follows: 0% Sleep apnea with documented sleep disorder breathing that is currently asymptomatic. are still among the most common treatments. Id like to tell you about their VA sleep apnea claims and show you why they had such different results. Youll need to make the call on direct service connection versus secondary service connection. The blockage is believed to occur when the muscles in the back of the throat become overly relaxed. PTSD, may be at higher risk for sleep apnea than the general population. By subscribing to the Veterans Law Blog you get a free copy of the eBook version - along with many more training manuals and instructional videos. The symptoms have disappeared or are not severe enough to cause any issues. 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. How to Get a VA Rating for Sleep Apnea Secondary to Anxiety (The Insiders Guide), Can I Get a VA Rating for Sleep Apnea Secondary to Depression? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most veterans are underrated for their disabilities and therefore not getting the compensation theyre due. Even if you have a medical diagnosis during active-duty service, without a sleep study this is difficult to claim successfully. It is, at its core, an interruption of the communication network between the brain and the breathing muscles. Phone. Your email address will not be published. Claire Szewczyk is a Digital Content Coordinator for Hill & Ponton, PA in Florida. Why do so many veterans have sleep apnea? You wouldnt necessarily focus on proving the same in-service events if you were diagnosed with central sleep apnea, though. Sleep Apnea denial - Veterans Benefits Network 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. This can occur from ten times to hundreds of times per night. Do I need a nexus letter for sleep apnea? Obesity greatly increases the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, due to excessive weight constricting the airway. 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. The major causes appear to be sleep deprivation and chronic stress. The sleep study, while a critically important piece of evidence, is not DRIVING your VA sleep apnea claim. Box 449, Deland, FL 32721, Orlando, FL: 605 E. Robinson Street Suite 635, Orlando, FL 32801 Veterans that obtain a VA sleep apnea rating can regularly also service-connect strokes. Our firm was founded in 1986 in Orlando, Florida. * She filed a claim with the VA, but was told that without a sleep study in the military, there was no evidence of service connection for her Sleep Apnea. You're not alone. Why? 30 percent disability rating: $508.05 per month. What happens during a C&P exam for sleep apnea? You DESERVE a HIGHER VA rating.WE CAN HELP. Cleveland, OH: 600 Superior Ave. East, Fifth Third Building, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH, 44114
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