Adding Sleep Apnea To Claim

[68mustang]

I am planning to file an NOD for a denial for asbestosis and need to know if I can add sleep apnea to the NOD? Or do I file a separate claim for sleep apnea secondary to asbestosis? Thanks.

68mustang

[JamesBreckenridge]

If you add sleep apnea, it will be taken as a new claim if yo'uve never claimed sleep apnea before. It's not an appeals issue. It's likely to get bogged down until after the appeal is complete. I don't recommend doing it that way. See if you can get asbestosis first before you start chasing sleep apnea.

Do you have some medical evidence that supports a nexus between asbestosis and sleep apnea? I've never heard of such.

[68mustang]

If you add sleep apnea, it will be taken as a new claim if yo'uve never claimed sleep apnea before. It's not an appeals issue. It's likely to get bogged down until after the appeal is complete. I don't recommend doing it that way. See if you can get asbestosis first before you start chasing sleep apnea.

Do you have some medical evidence that supports a nexus between asbestosis and sleep apnea? I've never heard of such.

James thank you for your response. Right now I only have the letter that my pulmonary specialist gave me for the asbestosis.I do have sleep apnea and I was going to check with him to see if it could be related to the asbestosis. I probably got ahead of myself in asking about the sleep apnea and asbestosis. Could very well be that neither is associated with each other. Thanks.

[pacmanx1]

If you can prove that sleep apnea was a direct cause of your military service, you may want to file a claim shortly after you file a NOD. The asbestos claim would be in the appeal process which could take years. If you have to connected it to asbestos, it could take a while.