A doctors diagnosis will be one of the keys to getting a sleep apnea VA rating. Broadly, its defined as the occurrence of five or more breathing-related events per hour, measured by polysomnography (sleep study). This may be even easier for you now because of a new VA new rule as of August 2, 2021. Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim Since that time, we have provided compassionate If so, how often and how long are your naps? 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. Obstructive Sleep Apnea: aka,OSA, is a type of sleep apnea that occurs when your airway is blocked or obstructed. If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! If your VA disability claim has been denied, contact our office today for a free consultation at (401) 753-6359. You can choose to have a legal representative speak on your behalf at the informal conference, but I am a strong advocate in speaking for yourself in this matter. Turns out, SSG Jones was raped in the Army a very violent rape by a Senior NCO in her unit. This would mean you had a sleep study conducted while on active duty and received a medical diagnosis of sleep apnea as a result of the study. Claire Szewczyk is a Digital Content Coordinator for Hill & Ponton, PA in Florida. Hypersomnolence (i.e., excessive daytime sleepiness), Mental anxiety and/or depression related to combat, Use of alcohol, sedatives, certain medications or tranquilizers. VA Sleep Apnea Claim #1: This Veteran served in Iraq and Kuwait in 2003 to 2004. 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. However, VA has not identified literature to support inclusion of sleep apnea as a presumption at this time. Both sinusitis and rhinitis are linked to sleep apnea. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is also sometimes known as deep sleep. When the jaw was reset, it was done in such a way that caused the genioglossus muscle to weaken substantially although it happened over time. VETERANS VOICE: Sleep apnea claims often denied - The Leaf-Chronicle He was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2007, after his 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. Follow the steps below to remedy the above-listed typical reasons for denial, and youll be much closer to a winning claim! No proof of service connection (missing a nexus letter) yet assertive representation for our clients. Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call with an experienced Team Member. Bottom Line: Understanding YOUR VA Sleep Apnea diagnosis Drives YOUR Claim. The VA rates all cases individually, but usually follow a guide of qualifying conditions. Spouse; Family Members; Friends; Colleagues; Other Service . Id like to tell you about their VA sleep apnea claims and show you why they had such different results. There are many different symptoms that go, Sleep apnea is a common medical condition that can be caused by many different factors, including conditions like Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However there are several rules that must be followed in order for this to occur: If the VA does propose a reduction of rating, then the veteran can submit an argument against it. Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. #1: Air is pulled in through the nasal passages. At that time, the VA may schedule a re-examination to verify if your sleep apnea symptoms still exist, and if theyve changed. Many of them have been diagnosed with the condition many years after leaving active duty. The resulting reduction in sleep quality and in the bodys supply of oxygen can have serious consequences on health and quality of life. Brian isalso the CEOofMilitary Disability Made Easy, which is the worlds largest free searchable database for all things related to DoD disability and VA disability claims and has served more than 4,600,000 military members and veterans since its founding in 2013. He was denied service connection for sleep apnea by the BVA, despite extensive evidence of treatment for sleep apnea from 2007 2014, at VA medical facilities. Click Go Elite Now below to get started today and a member of our team will be in touch within minutes. Making the Sausage: Heres what you need to know about new VA Claims regulations. Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call. What really makes your VA Sleep Apnea claim race through the VA disability claim system is this one thing: Your response, I imagine, might be something like this: To understand HOW the diagnosis drives a veterans VA Sleep Apnea Claim, we have to first understand the 3 different types of Sleep Apnea: obstructive, central, and complex. Studies have shown that war veterans exhibiting these symptoms tend to have increased frequency and length of apneic events that can be proven by a medical professional. Its an essential piece of evidence. 24% of those Veterans Sleep Apnea appeals were Granted. Claire Szewczyk Updated: November 7, 2022. It can also work in reverse: sleep apnea can lead to other disabilities. We know the pain of feeling stuck, frustrated, and alone, and we want to make this process as easy and painless as possible for you. A provided a NEXUS statement that stated the apnea was more than 52% likely to be the cause. Veteran Service-Connected Sleep Apnea Claims on the Rise An increasing number of sleep apnea claims are cropping up among younger veterans. Essential Keys to Winning Your Sleep Apnea VA Benefits Claim Phone. Sleep apnea and secondary service connection. Check out the VA Sleep Apnea Field Manual. (If you need an independent medical opinion in the VAs language, take a look at our VA Claims Insider Elite program. Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Central Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 * SSG Jones got out of the Army never had a sleep study done in the military after serving 2 tours in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan. 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. As an aside, there is a fourth type of sleep apnea that has popped up lately in the medical world: idiopathic sleep apnea. Anxiety and depression can interfere with sleep patterns. The most documented VA percentages for sleep apnea are as follows: 0% Sleep apnea with documented sleep disorder breathing that is currently asymptomatic. How do I prove VA disability for sleep apnea? 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 . Check out the VA Sleep Apnea Field Manual. Learn what youve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation youve earned for your service. 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. No current medical diagnosis (within the last 12 months), or improper diagnosis, #3. Many veterans receive wrongful denials when they apply for service connection for sleep apnea. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 Typically the re-evaluation period is anywhere from two to five years after your initial examination. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! Im not going to talk about it much here because Im not seeing it in VA claims and appeals just yet. Learn how your comment data is processed. For all about getting a VA rating for sleep apnea, see our post Your Sleep Apnea VA Rating A Guide to Getting a VA Disability Rating for Sleep Apnea. * 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. Has anyone in your family been diagnosed with sleep apnea? The sleep apnea VA rating criteria are as follows: If you feel groggy during the day, you may be rated at 30 percent. this was in Sept last year, fast forward to now, and as i suspected my sleep apnea was denied connection to my PTSD. Travis Studdard is an attorney who focuses on representing veterans in VA disability compensation claims. 203, San Jose, CA 95134 * How to use Medical & Lay Evidence in your Sleep Apnea Claim, * The 39 Conditions KNOWN to cause, aggravate, or be caused by Sleep Apnea, * The 4 Most Common VA Sleep Apnea scenarios and how to prove service connection in each. It was what the lay evidence DID that made all the difference in these two VA sleep apnea claims. No current sleep study within the last 12 months #2. Want More Help with Your Sleep Apnea VA Claim? OSA secondary to PTSD (or other mental health claim) is a more challenging claim to make, but it is still a top candidate for secondary service connection of sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea secondary to Asthma : r/VeteransBenefits - Reddit You DESERVE a HIGHER VA rating.WE CAN HELP. I submitted a supplemental claim adding some articles and VA reviews showing correlation with PTSD. Bringing someone with you to the appointment may also be useful. These sleep disturbances can occur from tens to hundreds of times per night. * The 5Reasons that 76% of VA Sleep Apnea claims are denied and how to fix the problem in YOUR case. PTSD is well-known for causing sleep deprivation, chronic stress, and an increase in body mass or obesity due to prescribed medications. How to Use one VA Lay Display to Win Your Disabled Claims For a limited time, you can book a free, no-obligation VA Claim Discovery Call with one of our experts. Learn what youve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation youve earned for your service. Because the medical research is slim to Why do so many veterans have sleep apnea? Sleep apnea also ranks #2 on our List of the Top 5 Secondary Conditions to PTSD. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to cardiovascular diseases (high blood pressure, heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke), diabetes, depression, and headaches, among others. In order to prove a secondary service connection, youll need three things: PTSD doesnt have to be the main cause of your sleep apnea, but it does have to be connected. #2: It crosses the uvula that dangling thing in the back of your throat. This is because the fact is that many veterans suffer from PTSDand sleep problems are a common symptom of PTSD. I had a sleep study completed and the study indicated that I had obstructed sleep apnea and required a CPAP. What is the current VA rating for sleep apnea? Top 5 Questions about Sleep Apnea VA Claims - Disability Denials VA claim for sleep apnea denied? She enjoys working with the Veteran population and keeping them up to date with information they need the most. Membership gives you your very own veteran coach to walk you through the VA claim process from start to end, and access to proprietary resources. As a part of the VAs duty to assist veterans in obtaining evidence to help prove their claim, the VA has a duty to assist veterans in scheduling the examination for a sleep study and helping them realize the VA disability claim that they are entitled to. use Medical & Lay Evidence in your Sleep Apnea Claim, 39 Conditions KNOWN to cause, aggravate, or be caused by, get it direct from the publisher by clicking here, check out the Attig Steel law firm and request a consultation about your VA sleep apnea appeal, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). The same goes for depression and anxietyor any of the 33 mental health conditions rated by the VAwhich can be highly disruptive to sleep. 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.