In September 1978, she was granted service connection for bilateral chondromalacia, a breakdown of cartilage in the knee joint that causes pain when bones . Veterans whoare looking for the easy way to get sleep apnea service-connected will not find it in my opinion, there is no such thing. 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. New Rule allows Presumptive Service Connection for Veterans particulate matter (burn pit) claims. I have a diagnosis and a CPAPwhy arent they granting my claim?. That is, until he damaged his knees in-serviceand had to geta knee replacement at amilitary hospital. I tried going it alone and the insurance carrier pushed me around. Broadly, it's defined as the occurrence of five or more breathing-related "events" per hour, measured by polysomnography (sleep study). She has always had a passion for helping others and found inspiration from those she cared for. Below is the schedule for rating . Sounds easy enough, right? Simple tasks that we take for granted every day may cause great exhaustion for those with CFS. Lesson #2: Sleep Apnea is affectinga LOTof Veterans. Im 50% connected with PTSD and currently have an appeal in for 100% on PTSD. 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. 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. % 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. In order to help you with your secondary claim, we have put together this Insiders Guide! Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Anxiety and depression can interfere with sleep patterns. VA Disability Claim Timeline For Active Duty Members & Veterans, Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, or; requires tracheostomy, Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine, Asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing. If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! At one point sleep apnea was the most prevalent service-connected respiratory disability for which claims were submitted to the VA. Concerningly, it is also one of the conditions most rejected by the VA, as the vast majority are regularly turned down. I stated on my retirement physical that I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night. Were here for disabled veterans exploring eligibility for increased VA disability benefits and who wish to learn more about that process. Instead, lets focus on one type of sleep apnea claim our firm has recently worked on to illustrate just oneof the ways to prove service connection of obstructive sleep apnea. Copyright 2023 VA Claims Insider, LLC. The transmission of an email request for information does not create an attorney client relationship. First of all, lets explore a little about this common disability in veterans, so you understand the condition and why its important you pursue your claim and get the benefits you deserve. endobj Many Veterans suffering from emotional distress overeat and lack the motivation to work out. I do not response to Individual claim and legal questions, although I do catalog them for post / video ideas. No blog, and no eBook can substitute for legal advice from an accredited VA attorney. As the patient, this can be a stressful time, which is why it is so important to tell your doctor all the symptoms you have even if they seem silly or strange. They think of Sleep Apnea as a disease of the obese, and then they tell them one of the big Fairy Tales about VA Claims. You are going to have to get a LOT of 5-Star Evidence. Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. Tender lymph nodes usually in the neck and underarms. For a limited time, you can book a free, no-obligation VA Claim Discovery Call with one of our experts. 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. Headaches which are new or have become worse. Instead, the leading cause of sleep apnea is weight gain. 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. Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call with an experienced Team Member. History of studies and lab work showing the doctor ruled out other possible conditions that may be causing the same symptoms, Nonexudativepharyngitis (swelling of the back of the throat with no mucus), Tender/palpable lymph nodes (neck or underarms), Fatigue lasting longer than 24 hours after exercise, Neuropsychological symptoms (burning, numbness, tingling sensation, sensitivity). 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 1) Direct Service Connection for Sleep Apnea For direct service connection you must show either of the following: You were diagnosed with sleep apnea during your military service; -or- You must prove the onset of sleep apnea occurred while you were in service. 3. Veterans with deviated septums can have clear cases for a secondary sleep apnea claim. 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? *To prove your Sleep Apnea is service connected without a sleep study in the military? The polysomnography study records your brain waves, the oxygen levels in your blood, your heart rate and breathing, and eye and leg movements, among other criteria. No current sleep study within the last 12 months, #2. If you would like a free consultation with our Perkins Studdard veterans disability attorneys just click here or give us a call to begin the process. If youve filed your VA disability claim and have been denied or have received a low ratingor youre unsure how to get startedreach out to us! Was your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) VA claim denied? In our experience, an upper respiratory disability is one of the easiest choices for claiming OSA secondary to another service-connected disability. As this represents a total grant . If you are a veteran and have been struggling with sleep problems, you may wonder if a VA sleep study is the right solution. (In one study, 69.2% of veterans were assessed as being at high risk for OSA.). Have sleep apnea, AO esposed, 65 in VN; being treated for mild PTSD for one & 1/2yrs. Nexus is simply a connection or series of connections linking two or more things. But if your doctor believes that your Sleep Apnea is somehow related to exposure to TCEs or benzene in the water at Camp Lejeune, then a good medical opinion would probably help you prove a direct service connection claim. If you get that, then you should be able to establish direct service connection and receive VA disability for sleep apnea. In order to establish direct service connection for sleep apnea, a claimant must show that they have: a current, diagnosis of sleep apnea an in-service event or illness/injury a medical nexus or link that shows the veteran's sleep apnea is related to their in-service event, injury/illness. I filed NOD in early 2017 request an informal DRO. put your Sleep Apnea Claim together right. Medications can be prescribed that help with depression caused by living with CFS, also low dose antidepressants have been shown to improve sleep patterns. 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. Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. The VA then diagnoses sleep apnea and with the snap of a finger, the Gulf War Illness presumption disappears and the Veteran now has to prove service connection of his sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is repeatedly interrupted during the course of sleep. See our tips on how to obtain a credible nexus letter, Both sinusitis and rhinitis are linked to sleep apnea, Emerging research indicates a strong association between PTSD and sleep apnea, You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned, 9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claim, Disrupted breathing in which a persons respiration can become labored or even stop for up to a minute at a time, Limited attention span or difficulty thinking clearly, Snoring, including snoring that is especially loud and involves gasping, choking, or snorting that may cause a person to briefly wake up, #1. SvKve5.YmPE}=;vpb -GW2RN Regulation Update: VA Ratings for Kidney Disease and Renal Dysfunction. As a matter of fact, it may be easier to substantiate with medical records that the sleep apnea symptoms started after the diagnosis of diabetes. For instance, often sleep apnea presents itself in those who have been suffering from PTSD. However, if you use one, it does provide you with a higher rating. Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most noticeable signal for those who live alone. As a fellow disabled Veteran this is shameful and Im on a mission to change it. The question raised in this case is whether this "intermediate step" is limited to . I talked to hundreds of Veterans who had been denied VAsleep apnea compensation. Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! They denied injections the doctor recommended to ease my pain. Jessica joined the Hill and Ponton team in the summer of 2017 and was excited to use her skills to help veterans. HE WAS A VET, HE AND I SERVED IN NELLIS AFB BEFORE I GOT OUT,the hard way. Your email address will not be published. Regardless of whether you are dealing with OSA, its important to pursue all the benefits available to you as a veteran. Columbus, OH: 100 E. Campus View Boulevard, Suite #250, Columbus, OH, 43235 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. Elizabeth M. Walsh appeals the Board's denial of service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea. In the article you quoted, Mr Harrison said, Sleep apnea is not a combat injury, especially if its caused by obesity.. 0 VA Claims insider is an education-based coaching/consulting company. Since that time, we have provided compassionate I am also service connected for chronic bronchitis with a rating of 0 %. If you are hurt at work, this is the firm you want on YOUR side. The best way to receive a VA disability compensation rating for sleep apnea is to provide the following information along with your claim: While the VA has begun to show a greater understanding of sleep apnea in veterans, the hard truth is that the VA has still not proven itself to accept the full range of how sleep apnea can manifest. I dont want you to think about the EASY path to proving Sleep Apnea is service connected. hbbd```b``"A$,^&d4dZ0;LI`2A`6H9!`qF' 0 *A good medical understanding of the unique CAUSE/ORIGIN (what doctors call etiology) of YOUR sleep apnea. Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from theUnited States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State Universitys Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class). At one point sleep apnea was the most prevalent service-connected respiratory disability for which claims were submitted to the VA. about the threat of COVID-19 How to Connect Sleep Apnea to Military Service. If I accomplish one thing in this post, it is to change the way thatyouthink about yourVA Disability Claim for sleep apnea. Yi-bR :z>r6iFR Both sinusitis and rhinitis are linked to sleep apnea. and Coronavirus. I recd another denial (3rd) Jun 30, 2017. Perhaps theyll have to spenda night with someone that suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, hear the suffocating snoring, experience the fear that the person will stop breathing altogether, they will continue to not take seriously claims for sleep apnea. These pauses can happen several times an hour when the apnea is severe. While sleep apnea on its own can be difficult to connect, you have the option of connecting it to another condition already claimed. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! caused or made worse by your active duty military service OR. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! Local Wounded Veterans Gifted with Opportunities to Go Fishing. I have also had a stroke. 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. Perkins Studdard LLC makes no representation that it can obtain the same results as reported in cases on this web site in other legal matters. Do I Need a CPAP Machine to be Service-Connected? Making the Sausage: Heres what you need to know about new VA Claims regulations. 2017-05-30T18:09:36-04:00 The VA classifies Sleep Apnea as a disability for which compensation is granted. Therefore, records of an in-service injury, illness or other events that could have caused the sleep apnea condition are essential. New Rule allows Presumptive Service Connection for Veterans particulate matter (burn pit) claims. A 2023 Guide to VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedules, Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator, List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map), Social Security Disability Benefits Guide, Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID), Presumption of Service Connection for Chronic Diseases, Common Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. solid foundation of Lay and Medical Evidence, read hundreds, if not thousands, of Veterans C-Files, Put it to Rest! This means they make their claim without providing much proof. * How the VA willrate your sleep apnea condition after granting Service Connection. Take a look at the Sleep Apnea eBook when it comes out I think you will find a lot of informaiton that will help you understand better the many different paths and proofs for service connection of Sleep Apnea. 38 U.S.C.A. When filing a VAdisability Claim for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome there are specific things the VA has to see before service connection can be considered and disability compensation granted. Of course, I dont give legal advice on the Veterans Law Blog. Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Veteran Success Managers having gone through our programs. HV6+jsl1q$=Yn3 N>% YQUVUOICzR4'By!-v'QZI`+2c.T\`~]Klovk*\3x9$vx%C _FjOBFECxm]WoZ>H*:zR/yuY(r( Not presumptively. f%Ygaz~u&d_',BB)Kw4(wb B @WxW4]XE 8L>kq t#]NGW{#}|_ g#0 oZ)OZLmx JqW2! /kso-v"b688Me ) All Rights Reserved. Weight gain can be tied to several different conditions. I filed to reopen my SA claim in 2016. Were Veterans helping Veterans Worldwide, and since 2016 weve helped 10,000+ Veterans just like you INCREASE their VA disability rating! We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! Washington, D.C.: 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C 20006 How you mix them is the hard part. 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. Check out the Sleep Apnea Field Manual. Follow the steps below to remedy the above-listed typical reasons for denial, and youll be much closer to a winning claim! Once diagnosed the more difficult step is required, which is proving the service-connection for sleep apnea. To prove that sleep apnea is service connected, the smart Veteran is going to have to connect the dots for them. I cannot recommend Jason and his staff enough. If you were diagnosed with this condition while in the military, you have a straight forward shot for service connection. * 5- Star Lay and Medical Evidence that show you your VA Sleep Apnea disabilityaffects your dailylife. Copyright 2023 VA Claims Insider, LLC. <>stream 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. Sleep studies can be done to rule out Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or other sleep disorders preventing restful sleep. Emerging research indicates a strong association between PTSD and sleep apnea.The link between sleep apnea and PTSD is likely due to the fact that many factors that aggravate PTSD also aggravate sleep apneaincluding sleep deprivation, insomnia, hyperarousal, and daytime sleepiness. Your email address will not be published. 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). Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can have a huge impact on a persons life and those around them. Required fields are marked *. The criteria for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to PTSD with major depressive disorder, are not met. The resulting reduction in sleep quality and in the bodys supply of oxygen can have serious consequences on health and quality of life. Andmy sleep study was not done in the military..
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