GatorCB

Sounds to me they have conceded you have tinnitus, so 10% should be showing up in the brown envelope any day! I went through the same thing in late '08 and the whole process took about 5-6 months. My hearing loss was minor compared to yours, as it only affected frequency's higher than normal hearing range, but tinnitus can be present with or without hearing loss, and that was granted. So what they call HFHL (my guess is high frequency hearing loss) may not help you, but it looks like the sensorineural problem has been conceded too. You should head down to your VAMC to pick out a primary care doctor. You may run into a problem when you do that, as I did. When I first enrolled in the VA system at my VAMC, I was told to head down to "Intake" to pick out a doctor. Intake told me I couldn't do that until I needed to see a doctor for a medical problem. A few months later I went in for a agent orange registry exam, and the doc recommended I pick out a primary care doctor before leaving the building due to high BP, but since it wasn't an emergency (I have meds for BP) and I didn't have the time to wait that day, I tried to make an appointment at Intake. No can do they said, we don't make appointments, so just come back when you need to see a doctor. Then the guy told me that satellite offices did accept appointments, so that is the route I went. You might check out your area for satellite offices and grab a primary care doc there. Thanks for your service!

Latest on HR 2254: H.R. 2254 Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009 picks up 200 cosponsors NEWS FROM... CHAIRMAN BOB FILNER HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2009 Contact Kristal DeKleer at (202) 225-9756 http://veterans.house.gov Washington, D.C. - House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following statement in response to H.R. 2254, The Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009, reaching 200+ cosponsors: More than 200 Members of Congress Agree: Agent Orange Veterans Deserve Compensation for Their Sacrifice!! "Republicans and Democrats alike have joined together to stand up for Agent Orange veterans. More than 200 Members of the House of Representatives have added their support for H.R. 2254, a bill to expand the eligibility for presumptive conditions to all combat veterans of the Vietnam War, regardless of where they served. Current law requires VA to provide care for service members exposed to Agent Orange by virtue of their 'boots on the ground,' but ignores veterans that served in the blue waters and the blue skies of Vietnam. H.R. 2254 will provide veterans with benefits based on their exposure to Agent Orange regardless of an arbitrary geographic line or location. These are benefits that they have earned, yet the Department of Veterans' Affairs illogically refuses to acknowledge them. "Time is running out for these Vietnam veterans. Many are dying from their Agent Orange related diseases, uncompensated for their sacrifice. If, as a result of service, a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange and it has resulted in failing health, this country has a moral obligation to care for each veteran the way we promised we would. And as a country at war, we must prove that we will be there for all of our veterans, no matter when they serve. "There is still a chance for America to meet its obligations to these estimated 800,000 noble veterans. The courts have turned their backs on our veterans, but I believe this Congress will not allow veterans to be cheated of their earned benefits. I would like to thank the more than 200 Members of the House who have bravely joined the fight to stand up for the rights of Agent Orange veterans. I also urge Senators to cosponsor S. 1939, Senator Gillibrand's companion legislation."

Congrats to James Cripps. http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=11488032