Sleep Apnea:
What Changed,
and What Didn't

Sleep apnea is one of the most claimed and most misunderstood conditions in the system, and right now it's surrounded by a rumor. VA has not changed the rating criteria. A CPAP prescription for service-connected sleep apnea still warrants 50% under Diagnostic Code 6847, exactly as it has for years.

 

VA proposed a rewrite in February 2022 and revised that proposal in September 2024, but no final rule has been published and no effective date exists, which means the current criteria decide every claim being filed today.

 

This page covers why so many people believe it already changed, what the proposal would actually do if it ever becomes final, the four rating levels word for word (there is no 10% or 70%, and CPAP is 50%, not 30%), what the prescription gets you and why effectiveness doesn't matter under today's rule, and the seven secondary pathways that win most of these claims, starting with PTSD.