Sleep Disturbance - Sleep Apnea

[DevilDog12]

I am currently rated 30% for Sleep Disturbance (Daytime Hypersomnolence).  I just had a Sleep Study done that was ordered by my VA Neurologist, and was told that I have Sleep Apnea, and now require a CPAP.  Since I am already rated 30%, would I now be able to file an for an increase to 50%?  

And would a C&P be required, or is the Sleep Study and Diagnosis sufficient?

[Guest]

14 hours ago, DevilDog12 said:

I am currently rated 30% for Sleep Disturbance (Daytime Hypersomnolence).  I just had a Sleep Study done that was ordered by my VA Neurologist, and was told that I have Sleep Apnea, and now require a CPAP.  Since I am already rated 30%, would I now be able to file an for an increase to 50%?  

And would a C&P be required, or is the Sleep Study and Diagnosis sufficient?

The crazy one here, be forewarned that VA does not consider sleep disturbance and sleep apnea in the same category.  Please check your rating decision to see how it is rated. Normally VA would consider sleep disturbance a mental health disorder and sleep apnea in the respiratory category and they cannot be combined.  I am really not crazy, I have just seen VA do some very crazy things.  Keep in mind that a veteran can file a claim at anytime. Anytime a veteran file a claim the VA will most likely order a new C & P exam. If you are rated under 6847 then you should file for an increase, either way make sure you doctor say that it is military related.

6847   Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed):

Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, or; requires tracheostomy	100
Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine	50
Persistent day-time hypersomnolence	30
Asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing	0

 

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders

	Rating
Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.	100
Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.	70
Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.	50
Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events).	30
Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication.	10
A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication.	0

Edited June 26, 2016 by pete992