I have a question and need some advice. I put in a claim for OSA in 2014 and per the award letter received in April 2015 I was denied. After the denial for OSA, I initiated a NOD to keep the claim open. On 18 August 2016, I looked in ebenefits and noticed they had given me a non-service connected (NSC) (pension) rating of 50% for OSA as a secondary to my service connected (SC) Sarcoidosis and Asthma. This rating didn’t appear until 18 August. Check ebenefits weekly.
I called the regional office (RO) in Montgomery Alabama on the next day and I was informed that I had received the award in April 2015. The RO then explained that the VA says in their notes that they agree that I have OSA, but not due to my SC disability of Sarcoidosis and Asthma. I am SC for 3 disabilities, Sarcoidosis with Asthma, PTSD, and GERD. I have conducted research in the Board of Veteran Appeals (BVA) and found appeals g showing that other veterans had been granted SC for OSA for each of the disabilities that I have. In my opinion VA has acknowledged that I have OSA by giving it a rating of 50%. My goal now is to have it changed from NSC to SC. Is there anyone with experience in do so? If so, please lend me some advice.