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Hearing Loss Claim - is there any point?

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Shake-n-Bake

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I registered my intent to file a claim for hearing loss, but now I'm wondering if there's really any point. I was just granted 60% disability, so the VA should provide the majority of my health care at no cost now, right? I read somewhere that if your rating gets you free health care, that includes free hearing aids, regardless of whether or not you are rated for hearing loss. It's my understanding that there is no financial compensation for hearing loss, anyway. If you win your claim, they just give you the hearing aids for free.

So, now I'm wondering if there's really any point in filing a claim for hearing loss. If it's true that I can get hearing aids for free anyway, what benefit is there from investing the time and energy in trying to win a claim? If there is some other benefit to it, I"m willing to go to the trouble, but if not, then my energy is better spent working on other claims which need to be dealt with. Can anyone clarify my thinking on this, or offer some advice?

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Yes, file the claim. You'll have to go through the regular motions of getting denied, but if you show enough hearing loss, the VA will provide you with hearing aids, even if you don't meet the standard of compensable disability. There is financial compensation, but you have to show a compensable disability for it (at this moment, I don't know what it is).

The VA denied me (after being in artillery for 8 years-surprised?) and I appealed and won based on a DRO review. The audiologist screwed me over. That particular experience is what led me to the conclusion that C&P exam doctors aren't there for you, but for the VA and that has been validated several times over.

I would file the claim. My hearing aids help tremendously. I'm rated at 0% for hearing loss, but it helps get the tinnitus under control so I can hear myself think and hear those around me.

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By all means file the claim, add tinnitus if you have that,  and go over the MOS list here for VA Fast Letter 10-35.

The link to the fast letter is in this thread:

 

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If the link does not work and no MOS list at VBN, let us know because it should be searchable here at hadit.

 

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I already filed and won for tinnitus and PTSD.

The heart of my question is, if they give you free hearing aids anyway, what's the point in filing for hearing loss, if the reward for your trouble is just the free hearing aids you were already eligible for.

Edited by Shake-n-Bake
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Absolutely what Berta said; although, the VA fast letter meant absolutely nothing to the VA. But don't assume the VA will take care of you, because they'll find ways to not.

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My MOS (Navy rating, actually) is listed as "low" for noise exposure, unfortunately, but I don't understand why. By its very nature, living on a ship exposes a person to an inordinate amount of noise, particularly if that ship also operates jet aircraft and fires very large guns. Seems like it would be based more on the environment of where you were stationed, in addition to what your job was. Regardless, they did approve me for tinnitus, so I guess they must have conceded that I had high noise exposure, or maybe they granted it because of my PTSD. Apparently, there's also a connection between tinnitus and psychological issues. The letter they sent wasn't very clear on why they granted the tinnitus. It just said they gave it to me, because I have ringing in both ears. 

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