tinnitus Catch 22

[simple fly]

i have never received any money for hearing loss through the va,i do get 10% for tinnitus. i work for the federal govt on loud noisy jet engines for the past 35 years. getting ready to retire,they send us for a hearing test..i have bilateral severe neural hearing loss.so they send me to the department of labor to be compensated for my hearing loss.

department of labor accepted my claim,sent me for hearing aids ,and told me to turn in a ca-7 form for a cash award. this morning they called me and told me they was not going to pay me because the va is paying me.i've never got paid for hearing loss.i protested and the kind lady told me that the va should be paying for my hearing loss...now what do i do with that information?????

[broncovet]

Simple..

I cant answer for the federal government..only the Va. If you have already applied for hearing loss for Va, then ask for an increase. If you have not filed for SC on your hearing loss with the VA, then do so without delay. If you have filed for SC with the VA, and have been denied and it has been over a year, then well, I hope you have lots and lots of money. My hearing aids are more than $4000 each, (I wear 2) and they only last about 2 to 3 years. Then there are batteries..they are about $10 per month. Now, guess who pays whenever you dont understand someone? Right..You do. The Veterans hearing loss manual says that hearing loss leads to depression. However, you will have a very difficult time proving that when you apply for depression secondary to hearing loss....apparently the VA knows about the bad reputation the VA has for telling the truth, so even they dont believe themselves.

In either case you will likely be given a C&P exam by your audiologist. If you feel the hearing loss is Service connected, then tell the audiologist, and why you think so. Ask the audiologist to put something in your chart very similar to "Veterans hearing loss is most likely due to military service"..if you think the military caused your hearing loss.

The VA regurarly denies SC for hearing loss..its almost an automatic denial(of course, the VA says there is no such thing as an automatic denial, but then the VA also says they dont shred Veterans claims, either) ..mine was denied even tho the audiologist stated "Veterans hearing loss is most likely due to military service". Upon appeal, the BVA agreed with me, and then granted SC for hearing loss. Of course, that takes a minimum of 3 years..probably longer now. Dont believe their "six month" claim processing time..that 6 month time frame is only if you are injured while in the military service AT THE REGIONAL OFFICE, with President Obama, signing as a witness and your hearing loss was caused by an explosion documented by CNN.

[simple fly]

i filed many times through the va.the last time was may 2008,i'm still waiting on the denial.

[allan]

Even though my hearing loss was listed as one of the conditions on my separation examination, the VA still denied my claim. They said I lied to an examiner when I claimed I was a boilerman on a destroyer during service. They denied the claim stating I was a "truck driver". My DD214 shows nearly 4 yrs foreign sea duty on a 4yr enlistment as a Boilerman.

If you are completely deaf, you "may" see some money out of it. It's likely that you'll receive treatment instead.

[sharon]

Tinnitus is not hearing loss. Tinnitus is ringing in the ears. You can have one without the other and they are rated seperately. Tinnitus is not a gateway to hearing loss.

[simple fly]

the dilemna is,va won't pay for hearing loss,department of labor says i have severe hearing loss but won't pay after 35 years of noise exposure because they say it is related to military service...it's the govt pointing the finger at each other.everyone around me that are non vets,are receiving 25 to 50 thousand...i'll not get one penny.

this stinks...my life for my country since 18 years old and now i'm punished by the very two government entities i served under.

[halos2]

Have you noticed a decrease in hearing throughout the years? It is evident as you wrote, you get 10% for tinnitus-ringing in the ears...but haven't you had any hearing tests along the years too? Let them know you are not receiving any compensation for hearing loss. Your job employment/description is evident you have been around noise hazards for 35 yrs.

Even with the use of ear plugs, other equipment you will experience decrease in auditory function. There are different areas in the canal which may become affected, as you wrote bilateral severe neural hearing loss. Put in a VA claim for the hearing loss/deficits too.

Advise the examiner to proceed with an order for your hearing aids via your current employment...perhaps they did not understand you were only receiving compensation for your tinnitus disability. Who did you protest with, DOL? Follow up with the supervisor of the clinic to provide you with the adaptive appliances you need.

The VA is not going to pay for equipment without doing their exam, and without an evaluation of hearing deficit with a 10% rating, doubtful to get hearing aids. Usual 30% and up allow for adaptive needs/equipment, after the VA does their evals.

i have never received any money for hearing loss through the va,i do get 10% for tinnitus. i work for the federal govt on loud noisy jet engines for the past 35 years. getting ready to retire,they send us for a hearing test..i have bilateral severe neural hearing loss.so they send me to the department of labor to be compensated for my hearing loss.

department of labor accepted my claim,sent me for hearing aids ,and told me to turn in a ca-7 form for a cash award. this morning they called me and told me they was not going to pay me because the va is paying me.i've never got paid for hearing loss.i protested and the kind lady told me that the va should be paying for my hearing loss...now what do i do with that information?????