You can subscribe to his Veterans Disability channel on YouTube. For instance, the rating criteria for 100% disability rating for chronic fatigue syndrome detailing debilitating and incapacitating fatigue, cognitive impairments, or a mixture of other similar symptoms severe enough to restrict your daily life and self-care significantly. Even as Veterans Claims for Sleep Apnea soar, it is clear that theVA DOES NOT understand the full scope of how sleep apnea occurs, medically or factually. Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! hTOo0| We share our top tips and a step-by-step guide to a successful claim for obstructive sleep apnea! solid foundation of Lay and Medical Evidence, read hundreds, if not thousands, of Veterans C-Files, Put it to Rest! At one point sleep apnea was the most prevalent service-connected respiratory disability for which claims were submitted to the VA. Jason and his paralegal Lisa were on point and on top of their game when it came to handling my worker's comp. I am a Veteran of United States Air Force and was awarded my first 30% in 1996 and have been fighting for my rating for 26 years I came to Perkins and Studdard in 2019 while my mom was in a terrible incident and was given to much anesthesia and through GODS Grace she was spared her life, She is disabled since 2018 and I have been struggling with my life and issues and yet I didnt call the law firm every 10 minutes or call being rude anytime, I mentioned this as I got to know Jessica more than just a phone call and Mr Studdard was always available when not working on other cases or in court, They always called back and Never had to do a call back, My Review is Simple in Life there peaks and valleys and it doesnt stop because you have issues, Perkins & Studdard took my case in 2019 in 2021 I received my 100% from VA, I Was Never Rude, I was Never Promised Success, I Was Never Lied too and I was Always Treated with Respect, Friendliness, and Kindness the Real Stuff not a (Money Thing) If You want a firm that Cares about the Client and will work on your case even through a pandemic, Will not lie, will not promise anything will communicate your case and will Give you their Best ALWAYS THIS IS THE Best Law Firm for VETS HANDS DOWN Perkins and Studdard THERE IS NO OTHER 100% we had 5 calls Total Case Thats Taking Care Of Business. Headaches which are new or have become worse. I think that far too many raters and BVA judges think of sleep apnea as made up medicine. If you have sleep apnea and sinusitis/rhinitis, your next step would be to get a doctors medical opinion supporting that your service-connected sinusitis/rhinitis caused or aggravates your sleep apnea. Lesson #2: Sleep Apnea is affectinga LOTof Veterans. * WHAT evidencetouseandwhich path to Service Connectionto use. This is where I come in. This is a great group of people who really care about your well being. We see that quite often with sleep apnea claims. And that means you are going to have to think through your sleep apnea claim. How to Hire an Attorney For Your VA Claim or Appeal. Nexus is simply a connection or series of connections linking two or more things. You are going to have to get a LOT of 5-Star Evidence. In our opinion, the only time a veteran should pursue direct service connection for sleep apnea is if you had a sleep study performed while on active duty, which confirmed the presence of a sleep apnea condition (medically diagnosed) during active-duty service. protected, calm and informed 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. I read his information, submitted medical documents, receiveda Letter of Nexus or comments from a VA contractor doctor. Making the Sausage: Heres what you need to know about new VA Claims regulations. If your situation is not like the one above, remember that this is only oneof the ways you may be able to win VA disability for sleep apnea. We cant possibly cover each of those and the ways to service connect all of them in this one article. Learn what youve been missingso you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation you deserve! No current sleep study within the last 12 months, #2. Sounds easy enough, right? Symptoms of CFS include thinking and memory issues, orthostatic intolerance such as dizziness, weakness, fainting when upright, and much more. The biggest mistake most veterans make in their service-connection for sleep apnea claims is in expecting the VA to take them at their word. hb```f``rb`a`} @ odoF@z&I*B{!C*!H12*0`$I +Nw`ubL6iF bICg!|F %
Elizabeth M. Walsh appeals the Board's denial of service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea. Since that time, we have provided compassionate 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. Those are the ingredients. When filing a VAclaim for CFS, the Department of Veterans Affairs has to see the onset of this fatigue is severe enough to reduce your routine daily activities to less than 50%, your medical history, and several symptoms that indicate CFS. endstream
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It occurs when airflow is impaired repeatedly during sleep due to blockage in the upper airway. In the year thatI spent researching theSleep ApneaField Manual, I learned that there are 39 medical conditions common among Veterans thatcan cause or aggravate sleep apnea. Strategic Veteran would like to help you sort out what you may be able to claim and the best way to go about it. Battle of DUAL-EXPERTS Chris, you called it!!! Problems with sleep which include not being rested after sleep or difficulty staying and/or falling asleep. We can helpreach out so we can show you how. What the doctor is trying to do is check all possible outcomes for the symptoms to make sure a clear diagnosis can be given. I believe the two are connected. Philadelphia, PA: 1 International Plaza, Suite 550, Philadelphia, PA, 19113 Your first step is to be absolutely sure about what type of apnea you have. UNFORTUNATELY HE DIED.! 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. %%EOF
The third part can be satisfied with a nexus Letter from a qualified medical professional, as noted above. Theres lots of literature available to back it up. Contact Us I do not response to Individual claim and legal questions, although I do catalog them for post / video ideas. Learn how your comment data is processed. if our guys/gals have SLEEP APNEA in the field THAT COULD KILL THEM.!! .{}p/=jyWG0j#kdLl%*~
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G(7H^1rnWI\8@I8w OSA is a common denial veterans receive when pursuing a VA claim, but it doesnt have to beif you understand the condition and what your claim must include in order to be successful. 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. Heres what the 38CFR lists for sleep apnea: Once sleep apnea is service-connected, this opens the door for you to file other secondary claims you may want to make. 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. endstream 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. endobj While we still have our home base in Florida, 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? HWnH}W#zx 8Fb$vhjKLdRCR6-kf$}9u/U(XVX= eX5e2by=t-V?l*_?,?C&{u&Q,E1[x3")KYdXD@Q2+x."]}0uLB!_ne\Ya)y,"k"Q>bV7mWnXQn
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S/.TWGaxUtbw>Hk :LfNo`BYL2%*{6GuTP rzY9y+%Koa(+Ja.'Xg If so, you may be eligible for VA disability for sleep apnea if you can show a nexus to your military service. (In many cases, amedical expert report or opinion may be crucial to success). 4 0 obj The same can be said about service-connected mental health conditions. Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Veteran Success Managers having gone through our programs. As a fellow disabled Veteran this is shameful and Im on a mission to change it. Of course, I dont give legal advice on the Veterans Law Blog. Even with that little bit of extra information, almost allVeterans are still being denied service connection for sleep apnea. That said, the key here is making the connection from service to diagnosis. FromApril 2013 to April 2014, the BVA denied 76% of Veterans Sleep Apnea appeals. The problem is that many disabilities that arise in service are not actually diagnosed in service. Its over 165 pages long, and took 9 months of research. They denied injections the doctor recommended to ease my pain. FREE tips for veterans to stay protected, calm and informed Hot Dogs for Heroes 4th of July Event This Thursday! 7@$4hvF=/Y 9FsxS@*ia:?4AC,bT_r8{4
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5|V!"D3Q)fE&Jl`Z9s^Hva$rq%[sRRw8r * WHERE to get the Lay Evidence that will give REAL POWER to your Sleep Apnea Claim. 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. *A good medical understanding of the unique CAUSE/ORIGIN (what doctors call etiology) of YOUR sleep apnea. However, if you use one, it does provide you with a higher rating. Newonset of debilitating fatigue severe enough to reduce daily activity to less than 50% of the usual level for at least six months. Winning a VA Sleep Apnea is much harder. 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. Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! See our article Burn Pit Presumptive Conditions. yet assertive representation for our clients. Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Center Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 * Damage to the brain from a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Were Veterans helping Veterans Worldwide, and since 2016 weve helped 10,000+ Veterans just like you INCREASE their VA disability rating! I stated on my retirement physical that I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night. In our experience, if you did NOT have a sleep study while on active duty and you did not get a medical diagnosis of sleep apnea in the military, you should only attempt to service-connect your sleep apnea VA claim SECONDARY to another service-connected disability. * Can I service connect sleep apnea without a sleep study in service? 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. 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. 3 Steps to Veteran Disability Benefits for Sleep Apnea, 6 Tips for Your C&P Exam for Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD, 3 Ways to Get a VA Rating for Insomnia (The Insiders Guide). Direct service connection for sleep apnea may be granted for veterans who can show that their sleep apnea began in service using service medical records, and by providing a nexus opinion from a qualified medical professional that links sleep apnea to events or exposures in service. Your voice is important especially when it comes to your own health care. How to Connect Sleep Apnea to Military Service. PTSD can cause insulin resistance (fasting Blood sugar results above 100 prove you have insulin resistance) and insulin resistance causes sleep apnea. entitlement to service connection for nerve damage to the bilateral lower extremities, to include as due to Gulf War illness, and, if so, whether the claim should be granted. 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. You're not alone. It is common to have a range of motion (ROM) exercises, stretching a few minutes each day and steadily increase to build a tolerance. Lesson #4: More VeteransShould be Able toService ConnectSleep Apnea. Youre arent alone. 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. One step at a time, one claim at a time, one veteran at a time.we vets are winning!! No current medical diagnosis (within the last 12 months), or improper diagnosis, #3. I spoke with DRO via phone for 5min confirming she received my NOD and evidence. The question raised in this case is whether this "intermediate step" is limited to . Because of my PTSD meds and sleep apnea I have gained considerable weight as well as an underactive thyroid. 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. <>stream In order to help you with your secondary claim, we have put together this Insiders Guide! Veterans are assigned a 0, 30, 50, or 100 percent rating depending on the severity . New Rule allows Presumptive Service Connection for Veterans particulate matter (burn pit) claims. There are three primary ways for veterans to get a sleep study: Once youve finished your sleep study, its important to review your results with a sleep specialist to confirm whether you have a medical diagnosis of sleep apnea. I haven't met anybody, who's been in the military, who's worked with the VA who couldn't benefit from this service. It's almost as much work - and it can often take as much dedication. I recd another denial (3rd) Jun 30, 2017. You will then need an expert medical opinion that shows these symptoms back then in service were probably sleep apnea even though you had not been diagnosed at the time. For example, if a veteran has service connection for diabetes caused by agent orange and it is a well known fact that diabetes can cause sleep apnea, then you should be able to add it to the claim. If you have central sleep apnea or complex sleep apnea, the approach will be a little different since the science is different as well. Obstructive sleep apnea is estimated to affect between 2-9% of adults (about 15 million Americans) but is believed to be frequently undiagnosed. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! Otherwise, I would properly ended up in mental health facility or going insane!!!