boomer2

Check this link you may want to send some of it as additional evidence that hearing loss cause depression. http://www.healthyhearing.com/content/articles/Hearing-loss/Types/7718-When-depression-and-hearing

I know you can get depression secondary to tinnitus. So why not hearing loss. I am about to go to MHC myself for it, I'm already being treated for it by a private doc.

The best time to call them is between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. They are pretty helpful.

I would write a letter to my Congress person, to Shinseki, to the administrator of the hospital. This individual needs to be removed from the VA system completely. Keep the emotions out of the letter, keep it professional and direct.

I have left 4 messages with this number and have yet to get a call back. My claim is 3 years old and my request for a DRO review is 2.5 years old. I'll keep calling them until they call back. I have heard that you can results from them.

I can understand how you feel. My claim is currently 3 years old and supposedly the DRO has it. I might recommend that you call the case management office at 202-273-7453. Explain to them your situation and the problems they are causing you by continually asking for the same forms over and over. Also, When you talk them try not to lose it. Be as nice as you can. Now when you call them you will probably have to leave a message with your name and number. In fact you may have to call them more than once as they are very busy. What I have heard is that they are very helpful to vets with claims that are old. I'm sure someone else here has heard of them and will chime in.

I recently had a C & P for hearing and the audiologist put the wrong numbers in which would have cost me 10% when they rated it. I called her and discussed it with her and she did an addendum to the C & P and sent it in. I have not gotten the decision yet but it should be 30% for hearing loss. I would find out if you can call him and just say hey you made a mistake on the report.

This should probably be posted somewhere else but, I couldn't find it. Anyway, if you have a disability that is combat related no matter what the percentage is you can have that % deducted from your property taxes. You need to fill out form DR501V which you can get from your county tax appraiser. Here are the guidelines. NOTE: Amendment 2 approved by the voters in the November 2012 election removed the requirement in the Florida Constitution that a servicemember must have been a resident of Florida at the time of entering military service. Effective for the 2013 tax year, a servicemember is no longer required to have been a resident of Florida at the time of entering military service. Section 196.082, Florida Statutes, Discounts for disabled veterans, has not yet been revised to remove the requirement. Section 196.082, Florida Statutes 196.082 Discounts for disabled veterans.— (1) Each veteran who is age 65 or older and is partially or totally permanently disabled shall receive a discount from the amount of the ad valorem tax otherwise owed on homestead property that the veteran owns and resides in if: (a) The disability was combat-related; (b) The veteran was a resident of this state at the time of entering the military service of the United States; and © The veteran was honorably discharged upon separation from military service. (2) The discount shall be in a percentage equal to the percentage of the veteran’s permanent, service-connected disability as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (3) To qualify for the discount granted under this section, an applicant must submit to the county property appraiser by March 1: (a) Proof of residency at the time of entering military service; (b) An official letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs which states the percentage of the veteran’s service-connected disability and evidence that reasonably identifies the disability as combat-related; © A copy of the veteran’s honorable discharge; and (d) Proof of age as of January 1 of the year to which the discount will apply. Any applicant who is qualified to receive a discount under this section and who fails to file an application by March 1 may file an application for the discount and may file, pursuant to s. 194.011(3), a petition with the value adjustment board requesting that the discount be granted. Such application and petition shall be subject to the same procedures as for exemptions set forth in s. 196.011(8).

I've heard a DAV rep say the same thing that Bronco just posted. My cousin has had a claim for his ear drum for going on 40+ years. The VA actually performed surgery on it for him and then said the problem never existed. His VSO said forget it it's has been to long.

Let's see if this actually happens check link http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/05/22/house-passes-cola-bill-for-vets.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Interesting article wonder if it will actually work. check the link. http://www.military.com/benefits/2013/05/21/va-and-vsos-team-up-to-tackle-claims-backlog.html?ESRC=eb.nl

I would recommend you get a copy of your last audio exam and also the C & P report. This may give you a clue as to why they want another one.

This is really something, I just had a C & P for diabetes and the Doctor said, "I don't believe you have diabetes" He did not order any blood work at all. Just said you don't have it. Yet I have a diagnosis from a private doctor that I do have it and I am taking Metformim for it. I sent the diagnosis in with the claim. I haven't received the official denial yet but, there will be a nod filed when I do. These guys have some conspiracy going on and receive benefits for it. I hope they get the max punishment for it.

Stillhere What you had to do was better than what we had to do. We had to dig 6 X 6's under the barracks with a spoon. Of course, it never got done. I think in addition to not getting a bonus that if there is not significant improvement within 90 days they should get a pay cut.

Congrats 71M10 It's been a long fight and you prevailed. I hope to be posting one like this soon.

I understand what you are saying. I am confused about that as well because it applies to me too. My claim is in the prep for decision stage right now. So hopefully I can give you an answer when I get my decision.

I'm pretty sure they mean that one ear will be rated without the SRT and the other one will be and then they determine the comp. level using both ears.

I could post a huge tirade right now but I am not going to. If they institute the chained CPI it is because WE let them do it.

If you can a get copy of your original hearing test when you first got SC'd and those numbers are the same. Then you can file for a reconsideration back to when you were formally service connected. You will have to determine how they rated and on what numbers. So you need a copy of your original test. If they rated you on the PTA and the SRT numbers then you may not get a new rating. You really need a copy of the test to determine that. Also, as it says each ear is rated separately meaning the right ear would be rated using the PTA and the SRT. They would just rate the bad ear on the PTA only.

The EED will probably be the Oct 2012 audio test. As I posted earlier ask for a new C & P exam. Do you have a VSO representing you. If so, tell them what has happened and they can direct you as to how and handle it. I don't think you can file a NOD yet, since you have not received anything from the RO. You really don't know yet what to file a NOD for. I'm not sure how to handle requesting a new C & P without a NOD being filed. I had filed a NOD based on the audiologist explanation on my report.

Killemall When it comes to the speech discrimination test, the key is to say what you think you hear. In others words if you do not understand the word say a word. Do not just not say anything because then they may think you are doing it on purpose. I have found out that they use your best discrimination scores when determining your level of hearing loss i.e. your scores may be 70%, 50%, 30% for one ear and the other one may be 75%, 40%, 28%. they will use the 75% and the 70%. Let me correct that the two highest are what the audiologist will put on the C & P report. You can request a new C & P exam which is what I did and by a different audiologist. You posted that it has been 7 months since you had the last one. If so, your hearing could have worsened. If they send you a proposal to reduce your comp immediately file a NOD and request a new C & P exam.As far as a private audio test a lot of private audiologists do not know how the VA format for testing hearing works. If you do that make sure they thoroughly understand the VA process and how to show it on their report. Now, as far as the slurring of the words I have done some research on this as well. You may want to see a neurologist and have them check you out for parkinson's disease. Some of the symptoms are balance problems, tremors, slurring, drooling and writing very small. Now you may have a couple of these symptoms but not have parkinsons. Like you, I have had the same problems with my hearing as well as other vets I'm sure. My C & P exam I had in 2010 the audiologist stopped the test and never said anything to me about it. When I got the test she had wrote on the report that she stopped the test due to variable responses on the speech test. I did what you did, if I didn't understand the word I didn't say anything. Just remember, if you do not understand the word say a word that you thought you understood.

Yes! please post the link to that study. I get numbness in the face as well. I also lose my balance and get dizzy.

Killemall You should consider filing for depression as related to your tinnitus and hearing loss. I am going to do it. I'm presently being treated for depression by a private doc. now. I want to get my current claim cleared up first because there are 6 different things I have filed for. I will probably get 30% for hearing loss as well. You brought up something I was unaware of which is the slurring of your speech. I have had the same thing and also I have had trouble swallowing as well. I wonder if they are related to the hearing loss?

Killemall I am fairly close to my VAMC and I can just go to the FOIA office and they print me a copy right there. I have found out some interesting info. The VA uses the best scores you have on the Speech Recognition Test to determine your degree of hearing loss. Naturally, this will probably give you a lower rating. AS in my case, my SRT numbers were 60%, 52% and 72% for the right ear and 44%, 64% and 60% for the left ear. So, they are using the 72% and 64% to rate my loss. To me, it would seem like they should use the worst because that I think gives a better indication of hearing loss. Also, when you get a copy of your test and C & P report make sure the numbers match for the current test. I found out the audiologist used my Feb. 2012 numbers.

Killemall I recommend you read the post I made about C & P exam and DBQ mistakes. I had a C & P on the 4th and picked a copy of the hearing test and DBQ on the 6th and they were different. Plus, the audiologist did not know what a DBQ was she called it a C & P report. She told me that she was going to send in an amendment to the report to correct the mistakes. I would have been rated at 10% less than what I should have been if I hadn't caught the mistake. Also, I would have had to file a NOD or CUE to get it corrected. So, make sure you get a copy of the complete exam and make sure everything matches.