Under 38 CFR § 4.97, the VA rates sleep apnea using Diagnostic Code 6847 at one of four levels — 0%, 30%, 50%, or 100% — based on your symptoms and whether you need a breathing device or more intensive treatment. That percentage sets your monthly tax-free compensation, which in 2026 runs from nothing at 0% up to $3,938.58 at 100% for a veteran with no dependents. To get any rating at all, you first have to prove the condition is connected to your military service and back the diagnosis with a sleep study.
The Four Rating Levels Under Diagnostic Code 6847
The VA uses a single diagnostic code for all forms of sleep apnea — obstructive, central, and mixed. The criteria are stricter than many veterans expect. The question isn’t how bad you feel; it’s which of four clinical categories your evidence fits.
- 100%. Documented chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention, cor pulmonale (right-sided heart failure caused by lung disease), or a tracheostomy. Few sleep apnea claims reach this level.
- 50%. A CPAP or similar breathing assistance device has been prescribed and you use it. Most compensated sleep apnea claims land here.
- 30%. Persistent daytime hypersomnolence without a prescribed breathing device. “Persistent” is the operative word; occasional tiredness doesn’t qualify.
- 0%. Diagnosed but asymptomatic, or fully controlled. Pays nothing, but establishes service connection you can build on if the condition worsens.
The regulation leaves little room for interpretation. Each tier has a specific clinical threshold your medical evidence has to meet.1eCFR. 38 CFR 4.97 Schedule of Ratings — Respiratory System
What Each Rating Pays in 2026
VA disability compensation is tax-free and paid monthly. Effective December 1, 2025, the rates for a single veteran with no dependents are:
- 0%: $0 per month, with service connection established
- 30%: $552.47 per month
- 50%: $1,132.90 per month
- 100%: $3,938.58 per month
Payments increase if you have a spouse, children, or dependent parents, and the schedule adjusts annually for cost of living.2Veterans Affairs. Current Veterans Disability Compensation Rates
A Proposed Rule Change to Watch
The VA has proposed revising how it rates sleep apnea. The current 50% rating hinges on whether a CPAP is prescribed. The proposal would shift the focus to how much impairment remains after treatment: sleep apnea that is asymptomatic with treatment could drop to 0%, incomplete symptom relief would rate 10%, and higher ratings would be reserved for cases where treatment fails or causes serious complications.
As of early 2026, the VA has paused implementation while it reviews public comments. No ratings have been changed, and existing ratings remain in effect. If you have a CPAP prescription and are considering filing, there is a practical case for filing sooner rather than waiting.
Proving Service Connection
Before any rating gets assigned, you have to prove your sleep apnea is connected to service. Three paths exist, and the one you pick shapes the whole claim.
Direct Service Connection
A direct claim argues the condition began during active duty. The strongest evidence is service treatment records documenting complaints like loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, or chronic daytime exhaustion while you were serving. Buddy statements from fellow service members who observed those symptoms can also carry weight.3Veterans Affairs. Eligibility for VA Disability Benefits
Secondary Service Connection
This is the more common path for sleep apnea. A secondary claim argues that an already service-connected condition caused or aggravated your sleep apnea. PTSD and traumatic brain injury come up often, but other conditions work too.
An intermediate-step theory is worth knowing about. The VA can’t grant service connection for obesity on its own, but it can recognize obesity as a link in a chain: a service-connected condition led to weight gain, and the weight gain caused the sleep apnea. A Board decision in 2025 granted secondary service connection along exactly that chain, with allergic rhinitis as the service-connected condition and obesity as the intermediate step.4Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Decision – Entitlement to Service Connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea as Secondary to Allergic Rhinitis A medical opinion spelling out the chain is essential.
Presumptive Service Connection
Presumptive service connection applies when the VA automatically treats a condition as service-related based on when and where you served. This path is uncommon for sleep apnea but can apply in narrow circumstances. If a presumptive category covers your situation, you don’t need to prove the link — only that you meet the service requirements.3Veterans Affairs. Eligibility for VA Disability Benefits
The Evidence That Decides Your Claim
The VA decides on evidence, not severity. A veteran with moderate sleep apnea and thorough records will usually do better than one with worse symptoms and a thin file.
A Sleep Study
You need a confirmed diagnosis, and the VA will not grant service connection on symptoms alone. Either an in-lab polysomnography or a qualifying home sleep test must document the condition.5Veterans Benefits Administration. Sleep Apnea Disability Benefits Questionnaire Home tests are accepted for obstructive sleep apnea only under specific conditions, including that a sleep medicine specialist orders the test and no other sleep disorder is suspected; central sleep apnea and similar conditions require an in-lab study.6VA.gov. 02.28.01 Diagnostic Sleep Studies
A Nexus Letter
For direct and secondary claims, a medical opinion linking your sleep apnea to service or to a service-connected condition is often the decisive piece. A strong nexus letter comes from a qualified physician, reflects a review of your service and medical records, states the likelihood in the VA’s language (“at least as likely as not” at minimum), and gives a medical rationale for the link. The VA weighs opinions from specialists more heavily. Private nexus letters typically cost between $500 and $3,000, which is worth weighing against the value of the claim; even a 30% rating pays over $6,600 per year.
CPAP Compliance Records
If you’re aiming for the 50% rating, your file should show a breathing device has been prescribed and that you use it. A Compensation and Pension examiner notes on the Disability Benefits Questionnaire whether a CPAP or similar device is required.1eCFR. 38 CFR 4.97 Schedule of Ratings — Respiratory System The regulation doesn’t define “use” through specific compliance data, but download reports from your CPAP machine showing regular usage remove doubt.
The Disability Benefits Questionnaire
The Sleep Apnea DBQ is the standardized form the VA uses to evaluate the condition. It captures the diagnosis type, symptoms, whether a CPAP is required, sleep study results, and the impact on work. A C&P examiner fills one out during your exam, and you can also have your private physician complete one and submit it with your claim.5Veterans Benefits Administration. Sleep Apnea Disability Benefits Questionnaire
Filing the Claim
You file using VA Form 21-526EZ, online through VA.gov, by mail, or in person at a regional office.7Veterans Affairs – VA.gov. About VA Form 21-526EZ Send your supporting documents — sleep study, nexus letter, medical records, buddy statements — with the application. Submitting everything together speeds processing.8Veterans Affairs. How to File a VA Disability Claim
Before you file the full application, submit an Intent to File. It sets a potential effective date. If the VA later approves the claim, compensation can be backdated to the Intent to File date rather than the date the completed application arrived, which can mean months of retroactive payments.9Veterans Affairs. Your Intent to File a VA Claim
After the claim is received, the VA may schedule a Compensation and Pension exam. Missing it can lead to a denial. Show up, be candid about your worst days, and bring any documentation the examiner might not already have.10Veterans Affairs. VA Claim Exam (C&P Exam)
If You’re Denied or Underrated
A denial or a lower rating than you expected isn’t the end. Three review options exist:
- Supplemental Claim. You submit new and relevant evidence the VA hasn’t seen. There’s no hard deadline, which makes this the fallback if the other windows close.
- Higher-Level Review. A more senior reviewer re-examines the same evidence. No new evidence is allowed, but you can point out legal or factual errors. File within one year of the decision.
- Board Appeal. Your case goes to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. You can request a hearing or submit new evidence. It takes the longest but offers the most thorough review. File within one year.
Miss the one-year deadline for a Higher-Level Review or Board Appeal, and the Supplemental Claim lane is your only option, which requires new evidence.11Veterans Affairs – VA.gov. Choosing a Decision Review Option
When the Rating Doesn’t Reach 100%
If your sleep apnea rating alone or combined with other service-connected conditions falls short of 100% but your disabilities keep you from substantially gainful employment, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) pays at the 100% rate. The general threshold is one disability rated at 60% or higher, or multiple disabilities combining to at least 70% with one rated at least 40%. Veterans below those thresholds can still be referred for extraschedular TDIU consideration if the evidence shows they genuinely cannot work.
A 50% sleep apnea rating alone won’t meet the single-disability threshold. Combined with other service-connected conditions such as PTSD, a back injury, or tinnitus, the combined rating can cross 70%. If sleep apnea contributes to an inability to hold a job, raising TDIU in your claim or appeal is worth discussing with a Veterans Service Organization or an accredited claims agent.