VA disability claims for sleep apnea skyrocket to over $1.2 billion per year

2seaoat wrote:http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/04/va-disability-claims-for-sleep-apnea-skyrocket-in-recent-years/

the number of sleep apnea cases represents a small fraction of disability compensation claims. In 2012, nearly 14.5 million total veterans were receiving disability compensation, that year 114,103 were receiving payments for sleep apnea.

14.5 million veterans receiving disability compensation........I think we need politicians to realize that war is very very very expensive, and the costs for excursions can last 50 years beyond the initial actions.

To see a veteran who has lost a limb......and then to see a veteran who is snoring getting 50% disability.......Houston.....I think we have a problem. The problem is that anybody who looks at these disability claims is going to be considered anti veteran.

Ghost_Rider1 wrote:

2seaoat wrote:http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/04/va-disability-claims-for-sleep-apnea-skyrocket-in-recent-years/

the number of sleep apnea cases represents a small fraction of disability compensation claims. In 2012, nearly 14.5 million total veterans were receiving disability compensation, that year 114,103 were receiving payments for sleep apnea.

14.5 million veterans receiving disability compensation........I think we need politicians to realize that war is very very very expensive, and the costs for excursions can last 50 years beyond the initial actions.

To see a veteran who has lost a limb......and then to see a veteran who is snoring getting 50% disability.......Houston.....I think we have a problem. The problem is that anybody who looks at these disability claims is going to be considered anti veteran.

SeaOat, your post leads me to believe that you do not know anything about sleep apnea. As a sleep apnea sufferer it is a very dangerous issue. If you think that snoring is the issue, then you are dead wrong. Snoring is just one of the symptoms associated with apnea. The most dangerous symptom is the cessation of breathing during the sleep cycle. When I had my sleep study done, I had 183 episodes of breathing cessation. I would wake up sleepy and lethargic everyday and if was effecting my job performance as well as other things. CPAP IMHO is the best thing to come along sliced bread.

That being said, I cannot see how any service member can claim sleep apnea as a disability and to claim it as a service connected disability. With proper care, sleep apnea patients can lead normal everyday productive lives. But a disability, I think not.

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:I use a CPAP machine at night (for sleep apnea). Maybe I should go back to the VA to see what they will do for me.......

The VA covers a lot more than just wounded warriors, and veterans who wind up with strange medical diagnoses can be covered even if they never saw a day of combat.

I will say it is over the top for former USAF pilots to be flying for the airlines, passing regular flight-physicals, and claiming 50% disability from the VA for sleep apnea.

Having a VA disability rating does not preclude a veteran from being employed if they are able to work, however.

2seaoat wrote:I have a close high school friend who has battled it. I unfortunately shared a room with him on a golf trip. He would be slightly snoring when suddenly he was grasping for air and making violent loud snoring sounds. He has had surgery and he was able to get rid of his breathing machine.

I do not want to make light of his problems, but on subsequent golf trips, I always volunteered to sleep on the couch......about two hours after everybody had gone to bed.....without exception you would see people pulling a mattress into the kitchen or the bathtub just to get as far away from his issues. At times you think the person has died....stops breathing completely and then violently emits a loud snore. Regular snoring will develop a rhythm.......this is irregular and you simply cannot sleep in the room.

I agree on your comments on disability. My friend is 60 and he works 60 hour weeks and is quite productive. I do not understand completely the surgical procedure, but it involved shrinking and removing some tissue. It worked great for him........but I still will not share a room with him on a golf trip.

Dreamsglore wrote:

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:I use a CPAP machine at night (for sleep apnea). Maybe I should go back to the VA to see what they will do for me.......

The VA covers a lot more than just wounded warriors, and veterans who wind up with strange medical diagnoses can be covered even if they never saw a day of combat.

I will say it is over the top for former USAF pilots to be flying for the airlines, passing regular flight-physicals, and claiming 50% disability from the VA for sleep apnea.

Having a VA disability rating does not preclude a veteran from being employed if they are able to work, however.

I thought it had to be a service connected disability?

2seaoat wrote:I will never recommend it to anyone.



It worked for him, zero side effects, and no machine........most of all......one happy wife. It had gotten so bad she would sleep in another room and close the door. I am curious....did you or z suffer from asthma as kids......he had battled it as a kid, and was wondering what they think causes this disease, and how could it possibly be connected to military service?

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:

Dreamsglore wrote:

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:I use a CPAP machine at night (for sleep apnea). Maybe I should go back to the VA to see what they will do for me.......

The VA covers a lot more than just wounded warriors, and veterans who wind up with strange medical diagnoses can be covered even if they never saw a day of combat.

I will say it is over the top for former USAF pilots to be flying for the airlines, passing regular flight-physicals, and claiming 50% disability from the VA for sleep apnea.

Having a VA disability rating does not preclude a veteran from being employed if they are able to work, however.

I thought it had to be a service connected disability?

The "service connection" is often very broadly interpreted. It also depends on what the medical condition is. I know someone who found out he had diabetes, and he was severenced out at about 16-years total service with no disability from the VA. A member dxd with something like MS likely would get a disability rating. The VA looks at so-called "Presumptive Diseases" differently. Those are progressive illnesses that eventually lead to total physical disability. They will rate the member 100% early so they don't have to keep re-evaluating them.

Nekochan wrote:Doesn't sound right to me Z. Sad for such a young man, but how does the VA justify giving him 100% VA disability? My daddy lived with a German grenade in his chest (it nearly killed him) and I personally believe it caused a lot of his health problems. Oh, he also had PTSD, but no one talked much about it back then and I don't think he would have ever claimed that as a disability even if he could have. Sad, but true. But I think my dad's disability was only 20%.

In my first post though, I was more talking about people who outright fake disabilities. That really makes me angry.

Nekochan wrote:He was badly injured by a German grenade. It left pieces of it in his chest, some pieces were very near his heart. There was no way to get all the pieces out, so he lived with parts of the grenade in his chest until he died.

Damaged Eagle wrote:

Veterans are given thorough medical exams prior to be being admitted into the various services.

If the member, and their immediate family, do not have a history of the developing medical condition that the service member is experiencing then it's hard to prove that it isn't a service related condition.

Not saying that there aren't fraudulent claims.

I'm saying that it's hard to prove that it isn't a service related condition.

*****SMILE*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzUCO7rG0M

Markle wrote:
Been there, done that and got the "T" shirt. Never any question about sleep apnea. If anyone had claimed a disability for sleep apnea...well I can't even comprehend such a thing.

No, the government should not have to prove someone does NOT have a service related disability it is the responsibility of the service person.

My Ol' Man lost part of his left leg and hand and part of his hearing in the Battle of the Bulge. During his time on those front lines, if there was one, he earned three Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

Every few years he was ordered to report to a VA hospital to be re-examined. They wanted to know if his disabilities had "healed". Yes, the VA wanted to know if his leg, hand and hearing had returned....

The same should be true, if it is not, about anyone on SSI Disability.

Is that being done today? If not why not? I have no problem giving all the help and aid possible to disabled or wounded veterans. I am bitter that if veterans who have never seen combat, never been in any of the battle areas, worked at a desk in Germany or Japan and have sleep apnea or some other cockamamie disability.

Dreamsglore wrote:

Nekochan wrote:He was badly injured by a German grenade. It left pieces of it in his chest, some pieces were very near his heart. There was no way to get all the pieces out, so he lived with parts of the grenade in his chest until he died.

And they only gave him 20% for that? People w/ sleep apnea are getting 50.I don't think people should be given a VA pension for a disease they were going to get anyway.

Markle wrote:

Damaged Eagle wrote:

Veterans are given thorough medical exams prior to be being admitted into the various services.

If the member, and their immediate family, do not have a history of the developing medical condition that the service member is experiencing then it's hard to prove that it isn't a service related condition.

Not saying that there aren't fraudulent claims.

I'm saying that it's hard to prove that it isn't a service related condition.

*****SMILE*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzUCO7rG0M

Been there, done that and got the "T" shirt. Never any question about sleep apnea. If anyone had claimed a disability for sleep apnea...well I can't even comprehend such a thing.

No, the government should not have to prove someone does NOT have a service related disability it is the responsibility of the service person.

My Ol' Man lost part of his left leg and hand and part of his hearing in the Battle of the Bulge. During his time on those front lines, if there was one, he earned three Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

Every few years he was ordered to report to a VA hospital to be re-examined. They wanted to know if his disabilities had "healed". Yes, the VA wanted to know if his leg, hand and hearing had returned....

The same should be true, if it is not, about anyone on SSI Disability.

Is that being done today? If not why not? I have no problem giving all the help and aid possible to disabled or wounded veterans. I am bitter that if veterans who have never seen combat, never been in any of the battle areas, worked at a desk in Germany or Japan and have sleep apnea or some other cockamamie disability.