VA disability Question?

[Jetmech]

I have a question for you Veterans out there.Iam reitired Navy my sister is an active Army nurse I told her about my severe sleep apnea and she said I should put a claim into the VA since this is considered a disability.My questions is does the VA consider this a disability,if so what percent?I have never been to the VA for anything and don't konw how to file claims.I,am a retired 20 year Navy vet,hence my scrren name Jetmech.Any info on this is greatly appreicated.

[DME]

Gloucester is a great place. I used to set up lots of CPAP in that area. Ironically most patients were vets. I could not find anything about filing a claim to the VA for sleep apnea as a disability. What I did find is that it would probably take up most of your retired time trying to get it done.

[Newsgrouper]

I don't know if VA considers OSA to be a disability but I believe any disability must be proven service connected. I have a VA disability for something other than OSA, but because I am in their healthcare system they cover my OSA. If you file for any service connected disability (even a slight, 10% hearing loss) and are granted disability status then ALL of your medical conditions will be covered.

[Guest]

I have been scouring the net for this information, and your post came up in my hunting. Yes, the VA considers sleep apnea to be 50% disability with a CPAP, 30% without. However, as someone said, you must prove it is service-related. I don't know how difficult that is, but I would gander some are successful.

Good luck.

I have a question for you Veterans out there.Iam reitired Navy my sister is an active Army nurse I told her about my severe sleep apnea and she said I should put a claim into the VA since this is considered a disability.My questions is does the VA consider this a disability,if so what percent?I have never been to the VA for anything and don't konw how to file claims.I,am a retired 20 year Navy vet,hence my scrren name Jetmech.Any info on this is greatly appreicated.

[krousseau]

I worked for the VA in San Francisco. To be service connected you must have had treatment for symptoms of a condition or had the condition diagnosed while in the service. Once that is determined you will go to Compensation & Pensions (aka Comp & Pen) for a determination of percentage of disability at your age. Sometimes the % increases as a condition worsens/progresses. What I'm saying is that there are two issues involved the first is establishing a connection to the time you were in the service-the second is the degree of disability.
BUT even if you don't think you had it in the service-see the Service Benefits Counselor at your local VA. Get your medical records AND LET COMP & PEN LOOK AT THEM. Sometimes the docs will find something you complained about in your records that they can relate to a current condition-and you are in. Once you pass 50% disability they pay for all health care. Lower % used to get you care for the condition only and other care based on income. You should go anyway. The VA needs customers like any other healthcare business these days. They get $$ based on patients served-so in my experience if they can get you into the system they will. 20 years & retired from the service should get you something. I don't care what you did for 20 years in the service-you volunteered to put your life on the line-you did not know where you would end up.

Get this though-the San Francisco VA opened a nursing home. They needed to pay for it-that required filling those beds. Even if you had 10% disability for flat feet
you could have gotten in and had all the care you needed. The beds are filled now and it is probably harder to get in but what a boon for the vets that needed nursing home care at that time. GO!