Sleep Apnea

[Wise Guy 2]

I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea through the VA. I filed for compensation so I already know it’s going to get denied. After it’s denied, I need to know exactly how to do the supplemental claim for it. I’m already getting benefits for Insomnia which the underlining is Depression and Anxiety. So after the Sleep Apnea is denied, do I just make an appointment with my Sleep Apnea doctor and say, “Hello sir I’m just curious. I’ve been diagnosed with Insomnia which the underlining factors are depression and anxiety. Can you tell me what caused my Sleep Apnea?” Then hopefully he’ll say depression can cause it, Then I’ll say, ok I’ll go with that. Depression caused my Sleep Apnea. Thank you so much sir that’s all I needed.

Everything that is said is recorded in my record anyway. Then from there I’ll file a supplemental claim and say the Sleep Apnea was caused from my depression. Right or is there another way?

Edited April 3, 2020 by Wise Guy

[Wise Guy 2]

1 minute ago, Wise Guy said:

I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea through the VA. I filed for compensation so I already know it’s going to get denied. After it’s denied, I need to know exactly how to do the supplemental claim for it. I’m already getting benefits for Insomnia which the underlining is Depression and Anxiety. So after the Sleep Apnea is denied, do I just make an appointment with my Sleep Apnea doctor and say, “Hello sir I’m just curious. I’ve been diagnosed with Insomnia which the underlining factors are depression and anxiety. Can you tell me what caused my Sleep Apnea?” Then hopefully he’ll say depression can cause it, Then I’ll say, ok I’ll go with that. Depression caused my Sleep Apnea. Thank you so much sir that’s all I needed.

Everything that is said is recorded in my record anyway. Then from there I’ll file a supplemental claim and say the Sleep Apnea was caused from my depression. Right or is there another way?

 

[brokensoldier244th 968]

Well, until you get a denial, which you haven’t gotten, there is no way to know why you were denied, which you haven’t been, so no one can tell you what you have to counter.

[Wise Guy 2]

I’m just going off of what my compensation representative told me. Apparently there’s a strong history of people getting denied for Sleep Apnea if there’s no record of sleeping pills or sleep apnea in the military medical records 

[brokensoldier244th 968]

Did you file for primary, or secondary, service connection?

[Wise Guy 2]

Primary 

[brokensoldier244th 968]

What in service evidence did you have? Buddy statements about excessive snoring and or stopping breathing? Admin Counseling’s for sleeping in formation/in class/ during guard duty? Are you within a year of discharge?
 

If you’d gone secondary You could potentially tie it to meds, Or even if you were diagnosed pre service you could file for it based on a non service connected being aggravated by a service connected disability. Usually osa causes depression, not the other way around, unless you take heavy sedatives for your depression, then sometimes it can be secondary.

Edited April 3, 2020 by brokensoldier244th

[Wise Guy 2]

I don’t have any in service evidence so it’ll have to be secondary to something else. I did get diagnosed first PTSD and am awaiting the rating results. Maybe I could try and get my Va doctor to say it’s Secondary to that?

[brokensoldier244th 968]

It’s a shot but if you already filed you’ll either have to appeal to keep the same effective date going forward or file again for the new contention but have the later date unless they have evidence that the date of onset is earlier.