VA rates sleep apnea under Diagnostic Code 6847 (38 CFR 4.97) at 0, 30, 50, or 100% — and the one most veterans care about: needing a CPAP machine is a 50% rating. It's claimed both directly and, very commonly, as a secondary to PTSD or another service-connected condition.
Straight talk first
Sleep apnea is one of the highest-value, most-claimed conditions — because CPAP = 50%, and a 50% rating moves your combined number a lot. The two things to get right: a sleep study documenting the diagnosis, and the right lane — a lot of veterans win this as a secondary to PTSD (the mechanisms are well recognized) rather than trying to prove it started in service. Get the diagnosis documented and pick the lane the evidence supports.
This is the sleep-apnea-rating cut of how VA rates conditions.
How the rating works (DC 6847)
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, or requires a tracheostomy |
| 50% | Requires use of a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine |
| 30% | Persistent daytime hypersomnolence |
| 0% | Asymptomatic but with documented sleep-disordered breathing |
The CPAP rule — and a heads-up
Under the current rule, a prescribed CPAP (or similar device) for diagnosed sleep apnea lands at 50%. Make sure the requirement is documented in your records. Heads-up: VA has proposed revising DC 6847 to tie the rating to whether treatment is effective — that proposal is not finalized as of mid-2026, so the rule above still controls. We'll update this page if it changes.
Direct or secondary?
- Secondary — the most common path: sleep apnea claimed as secondary to PTSD, or aggravated by weight gain from a service-connected condition or its medication, under 38 CFR 3.310.
- Direct — symptoms or diagnosis trace to service.
Either way you need a current diagnosis (sleep study), the service link or primary condition, and a nexus. See how to file your own claim.
Key takeaways
- Sleep apnea (DC 6847) is rated 0/30/50/100; a required CPAP = 50%.
- A sleep study confirming the diagnosis is the backbone of the claim.
- It's most often won as a secondary (e.g., to PTSD) — pick the lane the evidence supports.
- A proposed rule may change the CPAP standard; the current rule still applies.
Frequently asked questions
- How does VA rate sleep apnea?
- Sleep apnea is rated under Diagnostic Code 6847 (38 CFR 4.97): 0% if asymptomatic with documented sleep-disordered breathing, 30% for persistent daytime hypersomnolence, 50% if it requires a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine, and 100% for chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, or if it requires a tracheostomy.
- Is a CPAP machine an automatic 50% rating?
- Under the current rule, sleep apnea that 'requires use of a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine' is rated 50%. The key is that the device is medically required and prescribed for your diagnosed sleep apnea, documented in your records. Note VA has proposed changing this rule, but it isn't final.
- Can sleep apnea be a secondary condition?
- Yes, and it's one of the most common secondaries. Sleep apnea is frequently claimed as secondary to PTSD, or aggravated by weight gain from a service-connected condition or medication, under 38 CFR 3.310. It can also be a direct claim if it began in or is linked to service.
- Do I need a sleep study?
- Generally yes. VA wants a diagnosis confirmed by a sleep study (polysomnography), which documents the sleep-disordered breathing. A current diagnosis plus the study is the backbone of the claim, alongside the link to service or to a service-connected primary condition.
Sources
- 38 CFR 4.97 — schedule of ratings, respiratory system (DC 6847, sleep apnea): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/4.97
- 38 CFR 3.310 — secondary service connection: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-3/subpart-A/section-3.310
- 38 CFR 4.25 — combined ratings table: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/subpart-A/section-4.25
- VA — How VA decides service connection: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/
