Service Connection for Sleep Apnea and Sinusitis To file any claim for VA disability benefits, veterans will generally first need to become service connected. If you use a CPAP machine, then this should warrant a 50% rating. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! 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? However, if you use one, it does provide you with a higher rating. If you have central sleep apnea or complex sleep apnea, the approach will be a little different since the science is different as well. 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. Strategic Veteran would like to help you sort out what you may be able to claim and the best way to go about it. Here, nexus is the connection between your service and the current diagnosis of sleep apnea. That said, the key here is making the connection from service to diagnosis. Want More Information about VA Sleep Apnea? I filed to reopen my SA claim in 2016. f%Ygaz~u&d_',BB)Kw4(wb B @WxW4]XE 8L>kq t#]NGW{#}|_ g#0 oZ)OZLmx JqW2! /kso-v"b688Me ) endstream endobj 43 0 obj <>stream Either way, Veterans have an uphill fight to get their sleep apnea service-connected. If you are a veteran and have been struggling with sleep problems, you may wonder if a VA sleep study is the right solution. They were at all times attentive and on top of my case. Allergies or sensitivities to foods, odors, chemicals, or noise. His frustration with the8-step VA disability claims processled him to createVA Claims Insider,which provides U.S. military veterans with tips, strategies, and lessons learned for successfully submitting or re-submitting a winning VA disability compensation claim. I do not response to Individual claim and legal questions, although I do catalog them for post / video ideas. When I turned my case over to Jason things turned around, QUICK. Scenario 1: Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea First Occurs a Long Time after Service, with no evidence of sleep-breathing problems in the Military Service, or Military Medical, records. Microsoft Word 2010; modified using iText 2.1.7 by 1T3XT Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! Broadly, its defined as the occurrence of five or more breathing-related events per hour, measured by polysomnography (sleep study). endobj z`tsd#Ex>@"A"M@+5;$ It's almost as much work - and it can often take as much dedication. By law, there are three evidentiary elements that must be satisfied for sleep apnea secondary conditions to prove secondary service connection: The first part can be satisfied with any existing medical evidence service treatment records, VA medical records, or any private medical records, assuming you do have a diagnosis of sleep apnea. * What if it wasnt diagnosed until years after service can I service connect it then? 3. 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! New Rule allows Presumptive Service Connection for Veterans particulate matter (burn pit) claims. Your VA Sleep Apnea Claim, Ill give you the recipe for each of those 4 scenarios. Long term chronic sleep apnea can cuse the heart to work harder, thus causing it to enlarge. 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. Box 449, Deland, FL 32721, Orlando, FL: 605 E. Robinson Street Suite 635, Orlando, FL 32801 VA Claims insider is an education-based coaching/consulting company. Many civilian doctors have NO CLUE what a Nexus letter is or the importance of it! I talked to several doctors about the causes and limitations of sleep apnea. 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. HtT0DRO`" m)R,aep/>An)`?52nZ^ 3x3Qeo3R}8'h-=d2efHCQ In the U.S. it has been acknowledged that more education needs to be provided to doctors and nurses to give them the skills to detect CFS sooner for the well being of the patient. Portland, OR: 650 N. E. Holladay Street, Suite 1600, Portland, OR, 97232 Our firm was founded in 1986 in Orlando, Florida. CFS is also known asSystemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID)and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is characterized by extreme fatigue without explanation from any other underlying condition. Learn how your comment data is processed. Take a look at my VA Sleep Apneabook learn all you can about PROVING and IMPROVING your VA Sleep Apnea claim. Any advice on getting sleep apnea service connected? 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. 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. *A good medical understanding of the unique CAUSE/ORIGIN (what doctors call etiology) of YOUR sleep apnea. A/8un$zjHNSPU%=8HF Z*v@l(?6Nx/ I absolutely agree I think that Mr. Harris was way out of line, and was not educated about the issue he was commenting on. 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. To prove that sleep apnea is service connected,the smart Veteran isgoing to have to connect the dots for them. Local Wounded Veterans Gifted with Opportunities to Go Fishing. From 2013-2014, the VA and BVA denied VAbenefits for sleep apnea in 76% of the appeals. Tender lymph nodes usually in the neck and underarms. Scenario 2: The Veteran has a current diagnosis of sleep apnea. How to Hire an Attorney For Your VA Claim or Appeal. FromApril 2013 to April 2014, the BVA denied 76% of Veterans Sleep Apnea appeals. 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. While we still have our home base in Florida, Do I Need a CPAP Machine to be Service-Connected? This disorder can also lead to more complications like depression, social isolation, lifestyle restrictions, and an increase in absences from work/school. Chills and night sweats as well as low-grade fevers. <>stream aggravated beyond its natural progression by another service-connected condition (for secondary service connection). Theres lots of literature available to back it up. 4 Common Scenariosfor Proving Sleep Apnea is Service Connected. This illness can be hard to diagnose due to its seemingly unrelated symptoms, but do not let that discourage you. Second example.lets say the veteran has service connection for PTSD. 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. Also sinusitis, rhinitis, hypertension. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In fact, winning your VA sleep apnea claim can feel like you just led your team to victory in the World Cup. Were Veterans helping Veterans Worldwide, and since 2016 weve helped 10,000+ Veterans just like you INCREASE their VA disability rating! 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. Camp Lejeune Lawsuit. 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. Was your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) VA claim denied? Both anxiety and depression can also be linked to sleep apnea. You can lose a kidney, and live a full and complete life. Lesson #2: Sleep Apnea is affectinga LOTof Veterans. Here are the ingredients to a properlydeveloped claim for sleep apnea: *A solid foundation of Lay and Medical Evidence showing when sleep apnea first began to present in the Veterans life. Even if youve had a sleep study before, its important to get one done within the 12 months prior to your VA claim. Digestion issues like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). 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. I got so many questions that I began to do a lot of research into how to service connect Sleep Apnea claims and what is happening with Sleep Apnea in the Veterans community. Hepatitis C also causes insulin resistance. 2017-05-30T18:09:36-04:00 One of the most common service-connected sleep disorders is sleep apnea, which is a sleep-related breathing disorder. But most veterans are not service-connected for this sinus condition. These pauses can happen several times an hour when the apnea is severe. Its almost as much work and it can often take as much dedication. However, this has been thoroughly disproven. The most trusted name in education-based resources for Veterans. Deland, FL: 1607 South State Road 15A Suite 12 Deland, FL 32720, Satellite Offices * Many Vietnam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange suffer from sleep apnea. Jessica Rodriguez has a degree in Health Information Management and has 15+ years of experience in patient care as a Nurses Assistant. 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). This may be even easier for you now because of a new VA new rule as of August 2, 2021. Did the VA Benefit of the Doubt Rule just disappear? This is where I come in. Thats $901.83 a month. I got a 50% rating. If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! The rate was a staggering 22%. One step at a time, one claim at a time, one veteran at a time.we vets are winning!! Here are a few examples of how Sleep Apnea has affected Veterans from all different eras of service: * Don D. (he asked me not to use his real name) served mostly during the Cold War was in the best physical shape of his life he was an avid weight-lifter. Closely followed by PTSD, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus and TDIU. Ask your private doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist in your area (a good option if you have private health insurance). Proving Sleep Apnea is Service Connected its the one thing I hear more about from Veterans than any other topic. See id. 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. Then present the proper records for service connection with a professional opinion on the Nexus of the sleep apnea. I read his information, submitted medical documents, receiveda Letter of Nexus or comments from a VA contractor doctor. Heres 4 lessons I learned that I want to pass on to you if you can really learn and understand these lessons, you will have the power to really improve and service connect sleep apnea claims and appeals. The criteria for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to PTSD with major depressive disorder, are not met. 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 I do not response to Individual claim and legal questions, although I do catalog them for post / video ideas. And that means you are going to have to think through your sleep apnea claim. 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. Veterans with deviated septums can have clear cases for a secondary sleep apnea claim. I have sleep apnea and emphysema. Brooklyn, NY: 300 Cadman Plaza West, One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 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. Therefore you should be well prepared before submitting your claim. 7 0 obj Medications can be prescribed that help with depression caused by living with CFS, also low dose antidepressants have been shown to improve sleep patterns. To prove that sleep apnea is service connected, the smart Veteran is going to have to connect the dots for them. Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Veteran Success Managers having gone through our programs. The transmission of an email request for information does not create an attorney client relationship. 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. In a study of veterans, PTSD symptom severity increased the risk of screening positive for OSA. Thats what Veteran Lee G. did Lees VA claim changed when he read my Sleep Apnea book: Chris gave me the knowledge to file a claim for Sleep Apnea. Wc%X$(:ss!LCO^?4d *$ 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. Some of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea include: People who suffer from sleep apnea are often unaware of the breathing disturbances, finding out about them from a bed partner or roommate. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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). hbbd```b``"A$,^&d4dZ0;LI`2A`6H9!`qF' 0 Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. IN THE APPEAL OF . Your final VA Disability Rating for Insomnia depends upon the Top 5 Reasons for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Claim Denials (Plus OSA Service Connection Tips), Steps and Strategies: How to Prove Service Connection for Sleep Apnea, Step #1: Get a NEW Sleep Study (within the past 12 months), Step #2: Obtain a medical diagnosis of sleep apnea from a sleep specialist, Step #3: Get a nexus letter for sleep apnea from a credible independent medical professional, Lack of Medical Evidence is the #1 Reason VA Claims are Denied, Step #4: Consider secondary service connection instead of direct service connection, Secondary Service Connection Requirements. medical expert report or opinion may be crucial, rate your sleep apnea condition after granting Service Connection, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). When seeking service connection, veterans will generally need to submit the following to VA: A current diagnosis of a condition; An in-service event, illness, or injury; and, Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim Even without a definitive cause of the disorder there are noted risk factors including being between the ages of 40-50, difficulty managing stress, and women are more commonly diagnosed (possibly because they report symptoms more often). yet assertive representation for our clients. Of those who suffer from CFS, approximately one out of four will become bedridden or housebound for periods of theirillness. 1 0 obj We can helpreach out so we can show you how. THANK YOU AGAIN. If you or a loved one suffers from CFS do not be afraid to report symptoms to your doctor. endstream (6.[,P)BLd?8e:}]eS8Sx| XvKdEP,Zbl65k8 x!KSToHjbrC. 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. Below is the schedule for rating . I cannot recommend Jason and his staff enough. I have a diagnosis and a CPAPwhy arent they granting my claim?. Its an entirely different thing to mix those ingredients so that they turn into a cake. Those are the ingredients. * 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). Thinking and memory issues such as not able to think quickly, difficulty remembering things, and unable to pay attention to details. Will be some time before answer but getting all the info I can. In my next article, I will explain another road to service connection: obstructive sleep apnea as a secondary disability.
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