Bva decisions on ptsd how to#

A current service-connected primary disability (e.g., your current VA PTSD rating) AND.A medical diagnosis of the secondary disability condition you’re attempting to link to PTSD AND.There are three evidentiary elements that must be satisfied for secondary conditions to PTSD to prove service connection under the law: Service connection on a secondary basis requires a showing of causation.Ī showing of causation requires that the secondary disability claim be shown to be “proximately due to” or “aggravated by” another service-connected disability. In accordance with 38 CFR § 3.310 disabilities that are proximately due to, or aggravated by, service-connected disease or injury, a current disability condition, which is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury shall be service connected.

Bva decisions on ptsd how to#

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You might also like the following blog posts: Okay, it’s time to jump into the main disability conditions causally linked to be proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected PTSD. PTSD can have significant debilitating effects on veterans, especially due to the side effects of medications taken to manage your PTSD symptoms, often leading to a variety of other disabling conditions in veterans such as Sleep Apnea, Headaches, GERD, IBS, Erectile Dysfunction, and Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. In our experience, many veterans don’t even realize they qualify for a variety of additional VA disability benefits due to their current service-connected PTSD.īecause veterans aren’t medical experts (nor should they be), and yet, VA disability claims depend almost entirely upon MEDICAL EVIDENCE! While the average VA rating for PTSD is 70%, making it a high-value VA claim, did you know there are five OTHER high-value VA disability claims (rated at 30% or above) that can be medically linked through “aggravation” and claimed secondary to your service-connected PTSD? This is the ultimate guide for veterans searching for VA secondary conditions to PTSD!Īccording to the 2019-2020 Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) report to congress, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the #4 most claimed VA disability with 1,118,041 disabled veterans with a service-connected PTSD rating. Anaise to be more probative and persuasive in this case as it was based on a review of the Veteran’s treatment records, cited supporting medical literature, and was provided by a medical expert competent to provide an opinion as to the etiology of the Veteran’s sleep apnea.Today I’m explaining the Top 5 Secondary Conditions to PTSD for VA disability benefits utilizing the legal and medical requirements for secondary service connection. The Board finds the June 2014 letter and opinion from Dr. Anaise indicated there was a significant volume of medical literature to support the Veteran’s claim, and cited to such evidence in support of his opinion that the Veteran’s obstructive sleep apnea was more likely than not secondary to his service-connected PTSD. In contrast, the June 2014 letter from Dr. The Board notes that the September 2012 VA opinion against the Veteran’s claim cited the lack of medical literature in support of a causal relationship between PTSD and sleep apnea as a basis for concluding the Veteran’s sleep apnea was less likely as not caused by or a result of his PTSD. After a review of the evidence of record, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran’s favor, the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence supports that the Veteran’s obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD. Such evidence was also in support of a causal relationship between sleep apnea and PTSD. The letter cited medical literature as evidence in support of the opinion, and included such medical literature in support of the Veteran’s claim. Anaise included an opinion that the Veteran’s sleep apnea was more likely than not secondary to his service-connected PTSD. Therefore, the examiner opined that it was less likely as not the Veteran’s sleep apnea was caused by or a result of his PTSD.

The examiner reported that he found no valid medical literature to support the claim that sleep apnea is proximately due to or the result of PTSD.

On September 2012 VA examination, the diagnosis was obstructive sleep apnea.