Here’s the deal fellow veterans: The current 50 Percent CPAP VA Rating for Sleep Apnea is about to change.
Why?
Because the VA’s proposed changes to Sleep Apnea VA ratings could by coming by summer 2024.
I think the new effective date for the changes to VA Ratings for Sleep Apnea will be within 60 calendar days of the implementation date (summer 2024).
For example, let’s say the changes get implemented on August 1, 2024, the actual effective date of the change would be September 30, 2024 (60 days later).
What is the VA Rating for Sleep Apnea With CPAP?
Currently, the VA rating for Sleep Apnea with CPAP is 50%.
However, under the new rating criteria, Sleep Apnea with a CPAP is only rated at 10%.
We estimate these changes are coming summer 2024.
Pro Tip: If you already have a Sleep Apnea VA rating, you are “grandfathered” in at your current VA rating, regardless of any changes.
What are the Changes to VA Ratings for Sleep Apnea?
The new ratings for Sleep Apnea, if approved, would be 0%, 10%, 50%, and 100%.
The biggest change is the end to the automatic 50 Percent CPAP VA rating for sleep apnea if a veteran needs a breathing device.
The 30 percent rating for sleep apnea is also gone.
Overall, I think the proposed VA rating changes to sleep apnea are bad news for veterans because the 50% VA rating for Sleep Apnea with a CPAP is gone (most common rating now).
Under the new rating criteria, a veteran with a CPAP will only get a 10% VA rating.
The New CPAP VA Rating for Sleep Apnea is 10%
Under the new VA rating criteria for Sleep Apnea, a veteran who requires the use of a breathing device, such as a CPAP, will only get a 10 percent VA rating.
| DC 6847, New Sleep Apnea VA Ratings | VA Rating |
|---|---|
| Sleep apnea with ineffective treatment (as determined by sleep study) or unable to use treatment due to comorbid conditions; and with end-organ damage | 100% |
| Sleep apnea with ineffective treatment (as determined by sleep study) or unable to use treatment due to comorbid conditions; and without end-organ damage | 50% |
| Sleep apnea with incomplete relief (as determined by sleep study) with treatment. This includes Sleep apnea with a breathing device such as a CPAP machine. | 10% |
| Sleep apnea asymptomatic with or without treatment | 0% |
Note: Qualifying comorbidities are conditions that, in the opinion of a qualified medical provider, directly impede or prevent the habitual use of a recognized form of treatment shown by sleep study to be effective in the affected veteran’s case (e.g., contact dermatitis where the mask or interface touches the face or nares, Parkinson’s disease, missing limbs, facial disfigurement, or skull fracture).
About the Author
Brian Reese
Brian Reese is one of the top VA disability benefits experts in the world and bestselling author of You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits You’ve Earned (Second Edition).
Brian’s frustration with the VA claim process led him to create VA Claims Insider, which provides disabled veterans with tips, strategies, and lessons learned to win their VA disability compensation claim, faster, even if they’ve already filed, been denied, gave up, or don’t know where to start.
As the founder of VA Claims Insider and CEO of Military Disability Made Easy, he has helped serve more than 10 million military members and veterans since 2013 through free online educational resources.
He is a former active duty Air Force officer with extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class).
