VA, disability, sleep apnea.

[palerider]

Asking for a friend, who's out on a medical discharge with service related disability, and who I suspect has sleep apnea.

How does the VA handle that? Does it count towards disability? does it have to be proven to be service related?

[USMCVet]

Asking for a friend, who's out on a medical discharge with service related disability, and who I suspect has sleep apnea.

How does the VA handle that? Does it count towards disability? does it have to be proven to be service related?

If they want to get paid then they have to prove it was service connected. Do they have any in their service medical records to prove it?

If your just trying to find out if they can get treated then that depends too.
If they currently are enrolled in VA healthcare they can see their PCP at VA to get refferal for sleep study, since you said he has VA disability already then if he is compensated monetarily and is part of VA healthcare system the sleep study will be free. The CPAP and all supplies will be free as well. He won't likely have choice for machine and will get whatever his location has agreement for. Usually it's an APAP either airsense 10 or dreamstation.

Let me know if you need anything clarified or more info. My place lost their person who normally ordered supplies so everytime I ask for new cushions they just send a fit pack.

[kteague]

More of a question than an answer. Not sure if it was here or somewhere else I read recently about a collection of diagnoses adding toward a VA disability case. Is there a difference in qualifying for VA benefits between being disabled due to military service and being a veteran who is disabled?

When I had my non-veteran disability case, no single diagnosis qualified me for benefits, but the compilation of diagnoses rendered me disabled to their standards. Interesting subject - know plenty of folks this might apply to.

[USMCVet]

More of a question than an answer. Not sure if it was here or somewhere else I read recently about a collection of diagnoses adding toward a VA disability case. Is there a difference in qualifying for VA benefits between being disabled due to military service and being a veteran who is disabled?

When I had my non-veteran disability case, no single diagnosis qualified me for benefits, but the compilation of diagnoses rendered me disabled to their standards. Interesting subject - know plenty of folks this might apply to.

VA disability is different. For example i am 10% disabled because of hypertension that was incurred during service. Anything with and actual number % is something that is compensated. If something is service connected at 0% you don't get paid for it. Some things could qualify you for 100% disability which means more money and benefits. If you have 4 things each rates at 10% it doesn't mean your combined total is 40% though.

Best advice for someone who really wants to know more about that stuff is have them reach out to a veteran service organization such as disabled American veterans (DAV) . They work with veterans to file claims and fight for the veteran when they deny claims.
For example they gave me service connection of 0% for a scar I got for surgery on my arm while I was in. They denied me for the reason I needed the surgery though. They said my tenosynovitis and now hernia of right forearm was caused by the fact I broke my arm in 6th grade. That was according to a nurse practitioner. I submitted a letter from a VA orthopedic surgeon who said it wasn't likely that the tenosynovitis was caused by breaking my arm because of the 10 year difference in the injury and the symptoms. The VA replied back saying the NP was more credible lol. So now it's going to a judge. It's been about 5 years now since I put in that claim and hope in a year or two a judge will make a ruling.

[palerider]

Best advice for someone who really wants to know more about that stuff is have them reach out to a veteran service organization such as disabled American veterans (DAV) .

Thanks, my friend has been in contact with the DAV after I passed this info on.

[USMCVet]

Your welcome, they will take care of him. If for whatever reason he doesn't like them some counties have people who can help too.
For me it's not service connected but since I get VA healthcare in general all my CPAP stuff is free.

[greatunclebill]

If a veteran requires a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, the VA disability rating for sleep apnea is set at 50 percent or above. With increased claims, the rating schedule for sleep apnea is expected to be included in the VA’s overhaul of the rating schedule (38 CFR Part 4), though no recent changes have been made.

The most current disability rating and severity of symptoms can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations at www.ecfr.gov – 38 CFR 4.97 Schedule of ratings—respiratory system:

100 percent: chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale; or requires tracheostomy
50 percent: requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine
30 percent: persistent daytime hypersomnolence
0 percent: asymptomatic, but with documented sleep disorder breathing

https://www.vetshq.com/2016/02/sleep-ap ... isability/

[USMCVet]

If a veteran requires a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, the VA disability rating for sleep apnea is set at 50 percent or above. With increased claims, the rating schedule for sleep apnea is expected to be included in the VA’s overhaul of the rating schedule (38 CFR Part 4), though no recent changes have been made.

The most current disability rating and severity of symptoms can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations at www.ecfr.gov – 38 CFR 4.97 Schedule of ratings—respiratory system:

100 percent: chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale; or requires tracheostomy
50 percent: requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine
30 percent: persistent daytime hypersomnolence
0 percent: asymptomatic, but with documented sleep disorder breathing

https://www.vetshq.com/2016/02/sleep-ap ... isability/

The important thing to note is that you have to prove it started while in service or as a direct result of a current service connected disability. Otherwise it's not a service connected disability

[Muddpa]

Hi, just read all of the post. As a vet with a 10% upper respiratory, I was told since my service record did not have that It was not covered. But we will give you a cpap. Back in the 60's no one hear of sleep apnea, if you snored too loud you got an elbow or a pillow thrown to wake you up. Still fighting the VA on this.

[USMCVet]

Hi, just read all of the post. As a vet with a 10% upper respiratory, I was told since my service record did not have that It was not covered. But we will give you a cpap. Back in the 60's no one hear of sleep apnea, if you snored too loud you got an elbow or a pillow thrown to wake you up. Still fighting the VA on this.

You'll most likely need to track down those who were upset by your snoring to get buddy letters and get a sleep specialist to go through entire service medical records and write a Nexus letter stating based on whatever in your medical records it's more likely then not that it began in service if you want a shot.