New Rulings On Hearing Loss & Tinnuitis

[FRED MOORE]

I have heard that there is a new ruling out concerning presumption of service conection on hearing loss and tinnuitis,can any one provide info on this topic?

Thanls for any and all assistance.

Deckape

[jbasser]

Lets do a little research

J

[68mustang]

Lets do a little research

J

So far the only thing I have found is a resolution that was put forward at the VFW convention. It is number 617 and it is at following web site.

68mustang

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=vets.levelc&cid=4712.

[68mustang]

Lets do a little research

J

Also found the following. maybe this is what is being asked about.

68mustang

NATIONAL CONVENTION

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF RESOLUTIONS

MARCH 15, 2009

The below resolutions are being provided for review prior to the Department Convention in June 2009. They require no action by the convention other than discuss, debate and direct respective committee members and registered delegates from the department who will attend the National Convention. At the National Convention the committee members or registered delegates may take the concerns of the membership to the convention committee meetings and the convention floor for a final determination by the delegates.

(Note: The resolution numbers in yellow are new or rewritten resolutions, with all other resolutions the same as 2008 resolutions. The resolutions with red asterisk concern the Pacific Areas.)

NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN AFFAIRS

401 POW/MIA FULL ACCOUNTING COMMITMENT AND AGENCY FUNDING

The intent of this resolution is: To achieve the fullest possible accounting of all POW/MIA’s from all wars and urge Congress to fully fund all DoD POW/MIA offices and commands.

402 POW/MIA PUBLIC AWARENESS

The intent of this resolution is: To support public awareness of the POW/MIA issue.

403 FULL FUNDING FOR THE JOINT POW/MIA ACCOUNTING COMMAND

The intent of this resolution is: To call upon the President and Congress to fully fund a dedicated line item appropriation for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command

404 RECOVER THE REMAINS OF THE GEORGE ONE CREW

The intent of this resolution is: To urge DOD and the Navy to fully fund and support the recovery operation to retrieve the remains of the George One crew.

405* RENEW POW/MIA DISCUSSIONS WITH NORTH KOREA

The intent of this resolution is: To encourage the U.S. government to renew bilateral talks with North Korea to resume MIA recovery operations.

406* CALL FOR VIETNAM POW/MIA UNILATERAL ACTION

The intent of this resolution is: To request the Government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release all documents and possible remains pertaining to Americans lost during the Vietnam War.

407 U.S. – RUSSIA JOINT COMMISSION ON POW/MIA AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is: To request the Russian government establish their side of the U.S. /Russia Joint Commission and request the Speaker of the House to appoint a member to fill the position on the Democratic side of this commission.

408* USE OF U.S. NAVY VESSELS AND/OR U.S. GOVERNMENT VESSELS

FOR VIETNAM UNDERWATER ACCOUNTING ACTIVITIES

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Vietnam to honor the 2006 agreement in principle to use U.S. Naval and U.S. Government vessels for underwater recovery missions.

409 SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM

The intent of this resolution is: To support the war on terrorism and combat terrorist activity by taking decisive and offensive action when warranted.

410 SUPPORT FOR THE TROOPS AND THEIR MISSION IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM

The intent of this resolution is: To support the war on terrorism, the troops engaged in battle, and the prosecution of their mission.

411 INCREASE THE DEFENSE BUDGET

The intent of this resolution is: To urge the Administration and Congress to significantly increase defense funding.

412 BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE IS A NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITY

The intent of this resolution is: To support a ballistic missile defense system and urge Congress to fully fund this program.

413 MAINTAIN GLOBAL AIR SUPREMACY

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress and Department of Defense to provide the military services with the aircraft necessary to maintain global air dominance.

414 SUPPORT FOR THE COAST GUARD DEEPWATER PROGRAM

The intent of this resolution is: To support and urge Congress to fully fund the Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program.

415 SUPPORT FOR THE ARMY’S FUTURE COMBAT SYSTEMS PROGRAM

The intent of this resolution is: To support and urge Congress to fully fund the Army’s Future Combat Systems program.

416 RE-DESIGNATE THE POSITION OF SECRETARY OF THE NAVY AS THE

SECRETARY OF THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

The intent of this resolution is: To change the position of the Secretary of the Navy to Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corp

417 RAISE MILITARY BASE PAY TO EQUAL PRIVATE-SECTOR WAGES

The intent of this resolution is: To achieve full military base pay comparability with private-sector wages.

418 ENERGY DEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY

The intent of this resolution is: To encourage the President and Congress to find and implement a long-term solution to the country’s energy dependency and enhance protection of critical shipping points and tanker ships.

419 LOWER THE RESERVE COMPONENT RETIREMENT PAY AGE

The intent of this resolution is: To support legislation that will reduce the Reserve Component retirement pay eligibility age to 55.

420 CORRECT THE FY08 NDAA RESERVE RETIREMENT PAY PROVISION

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to provide all Reserve Component members serving on active duty since September 11, 2001, with eligibility for early retirement pay as outlined in the FY08 National Defense Authorization Act.

421 OPPOSE TRICARE FEE INCREASES

The intent of this resolution is: To oppose any TRICARE fee increases and support moving the authority to set fees to the Congress.

422 UNIFORMED SERVICES FORMER SPOUSES PROTECTION ACT

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to reform the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act.

423 INTERSTATE COMPACT ON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR MILITARY CHILDREN

The intent of this resolution is: To support the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and call upon state governments to adopt the compact language.

424 CHILD CUSTODY AND MILITARY DEPLOYMENTS

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to amend the Service members Civil Relief Act to prevent changing child custody arrangements while a service member is deployed.

425 MILITARY ABSENTEE VOTING

The intent of this resolution is: To urge state and federal government officials to allow sufficient time for military personnel to request, complete, and return by the due date their absentee ballot for a federal election

426 OPPOSE ALL EFFORTS TO REPEAL THE 1993 LAW BANNING HOMOSEXUALS FROM SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES

The intent of this resolution is: To oppose all efforts to repeal Public Law 103-160 (Section 654, U.S. Code Title 10), which bans homosexuals from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces

427 SECURE AMERICA’S BORDERS / HALT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

The intent of this resolution is: To expeditiously secure U.S. borders and halt the flow of illegal immigrants.

428 SUPPORT NATO EXPANSION

The intent of this resolution is: To support future NATO expansion on the European continent as an element of U.S. strategy for greater stability in the region.

429* SUPPORT FOR THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

The intent of this resolution is: To urge the U.S. government to keep a military presence in the Republic of Korea and provide them with military aid and assistance to ensure stability in the region.

430* SUPPORT FOR THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON TAIWAN

The intent of this resolution is: To urge the Administration and the Congress to strictly adhere to the concepts of the Taiwan Relations Act; and urge the U.S. government to employ its full range of influence to contain aggressive posturing of the Peoples Republic of China; and to afford Taiwan (ROC) heads of state equal respect and privileges.

431 INVESTIGATE THE ISRAELI ATTACK ON THE USS LIBERTY

The intent of this resolution is: To call upon Congress to investigate the attack on the USS Liberty by Israeli military forces on June 8, 1967 to determine the truth behind the attack.

432* HALT NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM

The intent of this resolution is: To call upon the Administration to stop the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons by North Korea.

433 ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL AUTHORIZATION DATE CHANGE

The intent of this resolution is: To change the authorizing date of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal from July 1, 1958, to March 3, 1946, and award it to participants of military operations that qualify.

434 EUROPE DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL

The intent of this resolution is: To establish a Europe Defense Service Medal.

435 COLD WAR VICTORY MEDAL

The intent of this resolution is: To establish a medal for the Cold War period.

436 AMEND CRITERIA FOR AWARD OF THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION WWII MEDAL

The intent of this resolution is: To petition Congress, DoD and U.S. Army to award the Army of Occupation Medal to those who served in Trieste, Italy with the U.S. Army from May 8, 1945, to October 25, 1954.

437 RECOGNIZE MILITARY VETERANS WHO WERE KILLED OR WOUNDED DURING THE EARLY PERIOD OF THE COLD WAR

The intent of this resolution is: To award the Purple Heart Medal to military members wounded or killed while engaged in certain operations or missions during the early period of the Cold War.

438 EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR THE ARMY COMBAT ACTION BADGE

The intent of this resolution is: To expand retroactive eligibility for the Army Combat Action Badge to those soldiers serving during the dates ranging from December 7, 1941, to September 18, 2001.

439 AUTHORIZE THE COMBAT ACTION BADGE FOR PENTAGON SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

The intent of this resolution is: To authorize the Combat Action Badge for members of the armed forces who were serving in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

440 ESTABLISH A COMBAT ACTION MEDAL FOR NAVY AND MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL

The intent of this resolution is: To petition Congress to direct the Secretary of the Navy to establish a Combat Action Medal to replace the Combat Action Ribbon.

441 EXPAND THE DATES OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THE VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL

The intent of this resolution is: To expand the dates of eligibility for the Vietnam Service Medal.

442 CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL FOR ALL CODE TALKERS

The intent of this resolution is: To award the Congressional Gold Medal to all Native Americans who served in the armed forces as Code Talkers.

443 WORLD WAR ONE (WWI) GENERATION NATIONAL HONORS

The intent of this resolution is: To urge the President to proclaim the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff upon the death of the last WWI veteran.

444 SUPPORT FORMER POW SLAVE LABOR CLAIMS AGAINST JAPANESE FIRMS

The intent of this resolution is: To support the claims of former American WWII POWs who were enslaved by Imperial Japan and forced to work for private Japanese companies.

445 CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL FOR THE WOMEN AIR FORCE SERVICE PILOTS (WASP)

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP)

VETERANS SERVICE

601 ADEQUATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BUDGET

The intent of this resolution is: To have Congress pass a budget that fully funds and sufficiently maintains all VA entitlement programs and services.

602 CONSIDER TREATMENT FOR A PRESUMPTIVE SERVICE CONNECTED

CONDITION AS A CLAIM FOR VA COMPENSATION

The intent of this resolution is: To provide legislation that would consider treatment for a presumptive service connected condition as a claim for VA Compensation.

603 EXTENDING GULF WAR PRESUMPTIONS, REGISTRY, AND HEALTH CARE TO

AFGHANISTAN THEATER VETERANS

The intent of this resolution is: To extend Gulf War benefits under 38 CFR 3.317 to include veterans serving in Afghanistan.

604 OPPOSE VA PHARMACEUTICAL CO-PAYMENT INCREASES

The intent of this resolution is: To oppose raising VA co-payment for medication.

605 ENTITLEMENT TO NURSING HOME CARE

The intent of this resolution is: To urge the Congress to establish a standard entitlement for all veterans.

606 HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

The intent of this resolution is: To provide sufficient funding so VA can provide appropriate screening, diagnostic services and treatment for veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries and increase the research on screening methods, diagnostic tools, and more effective treatment modalities.

607 VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to support effective employment and training programs for veterans.

608 HIGH QUALITY VA SERVICES FOR WOMEN VETERANS

The intent of this resolution is: To ensure VA health care and access to mental health services for women veterans are available at all VA medical centers or nearby network facilities. To further mandate a full-time women veterans program manager position at all VA medical centers and to increase priority and outreach to women veterans.

609 EXTEND A PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE CONNECTION TO BLAST SURVIVORS

The intent of this resolution is: To encourage Congress to extend a presumption of service connection for TBI and ABI as a result of blast injuries.

610 ADVANCED FUNDING FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE

The intent of this resolution is: To have sufficient, timely and predictable VA health care funding provided to the department via an advanced funding mechanism.

611 VETERAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The intent of this resolution is: To require Congress to eliminate the barriers impeding veterans from establishing and maintaining a small business by providing sufficient funding for veterans small business training, and increasing veterans access to capital, in order to raise veterans capacity and capability at a level sufficient to provide the federal government with 3% of all their contracts for goods and services.

612 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION VETERANS PROGRAMS

The intent of this resolution is: To obtain increased funding and staffing for the Office of Veterans Business Development within SBA.

613 EXPAND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) PRE-SEPARATION COUNSELING

AND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The intent of this resolution is: Seek legislation to expand DOD’s pre-separation counseling process and DOL’s transition assistance program prior to demobilization.

614 VA CLAIMS BACKLOG

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to allocate the necessary resources for the Veterans Benefits Administration to hire sufficient employees to implement the necessary training and transitional planning that will allow VBA to begin to overcome the claims backlog.

615 IMPROVE TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISORDER

The intent of this resolution is: To urge VA to improve health care treatment options for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder.

616 OPPOSE ATTEMPTS TO PRIVATIZE VETERANS HEALTH CARE

The intent of this resolution is: To oppose attempts to privatize the VA health care system.

617 PRESUMPTIVE SERVICE CONNECTION FOR TINNITUS AND HEARING LOSS

The intent of this resolution is: To authorize presumptive service connection for veterans with a hearing loss or tinnitus due to combat or occupational acoustic trauma.

618 EXTEND THE SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS OF P.L. 109-461 TO ALL FEDERAL AGENCIES

The intent of this resolution is: To extend the service disabled veteran-owned small business requirements of P.L. 109-461 to all federal government agencies, require all government agencies to use the VA Vendor Information Page (VIP) database to verify veteran and service disabled veteran ownership and control of a company, establish congressional oversight to ensure adherence to existing laws related to SDVOSB and Executive Order 13360.

619 BURIAL PLOT ALLOWANCE

The intent of this resolution is: To increase the VA Burial Plot Allowance to include the veterans spouse and dependent child buried outside a national cemetery.

620 MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR HEARING LOSS

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to enact legislation to provide a minimum compensation evaluation for any hearing loss for which a hearing aid is medically indicated.

621 REPEAL THE SURVIVOR’S BENEFIT PLAN AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION OFFSET

The intent of this resolution is: To seek legislation to repeal the SBP and DIC benefits offset.

622 INCIDENT REPORTING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HEALTH CARE FOR MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA (MST)

The intent of this resolution is: To improve and expand access to healthcare services for the treatment of MST and PTSD resulting from MST and to develop more responsive and appropriate reporting processes available to survivors of sexual assault.

623 PAYMENT FOR LOSS OF QUALITY OF LIFE

The intent of this resolution is: To increase the amount of VBA service disabled compensation by also taking into consideration the veteran’s quality of life.

624 EXEMPT BOTH CATASTROPHICALLY DISABLED VETERANS FROM PAYING ANY VA CO-PAYMENTS

The intent of this resolution is: To exempt catastrophically disabled veterans from paying any VA co-payments.

625 VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to change the delimitating date for eligibility to VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services and to streamline eligibility to provide earlier assistance.

626 HOMELESS VETERANS PRIORITIES

The intent of this resolution is: To urge the President and Congress to establish homeless veterans as a priority and fully fund all veteran homeless programs to include the VA’s Grant and Per Diem program DOL’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration program.

627 EMPLOYER TAX CREDIT

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress to establish an employer Federal Tax Credit for hiring and training recently discharged veterans.

# # #

[carlie]

From VFW:

2009-2010 Veterans Service Resolutions - Approved

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=vets.levele&eid=4735

R 617

Resolution No. 617

PRESUMPTIVE SERVICE CONNECTION

FOR TINNITUS AND HEARING LOSS

WHEREAS, veterans of the armed services who served in combat or in a position (e.g. member of a gun crew on board Navy ships) or certain occupational specialties have a high incidence rate of hearing loss or tinnitus as a direct result of acoustic trauma; and

WHEREAS, many pre-service and discharge examinations, particularly for World War II and Korean Conflict veterans, were usually accomplished with the highly inaccurate whispered-voice test; and

WHEREAS, veterans, in those cases, were not afforded a comprehensive audio logical examination upon entrance and discharge from the military services; and

WHEREAS, in recent years the second leading disability granted service connection by VA was for hearing loss or tinnitus.

WHEREAS, in 2005 the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) released a study that showed that nearly all service members are exposed to acoustic trauma at some point during their military service and that many experience hearing loss and/or tinnitus as a result, often years after service. However, “after the fact, hearing loss or tinnitus incurred as a result of military service cannot be distinguished with certainty from subsequent noise-induced hearing loss…” Given these findings, reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of veterans who suffered acoustic trauma in service.

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, we urge the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to grant service connection on a presumptive basis for any veteran diagnosed after discharge with hearing loss or tinnitus when the evidence shows that the veteran participated in combat or worked in a position or occupational specialty likely to cause acoustic trauma.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on VETERANS SERVICE RESOLUTIONS

The intent of this resolution is:

To authorize presumptive service connection for veterans with a hearing loss or tinnitus due to combat or occupational acoustic trauma.

APPROVED by the 110th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=vets.levele&eid=4738

R 620

Resolution No. 620

MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR HEARING LOSS

WHEREAS, veterans of the armed services who served in combat have a high incident rate of hearing loss usually associated with acoustical trauma; and

WHEREAS, it is the general principle of disability compensation that ratings not be offset by the function artificially restored by prosthesis; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs has the authority to grant service connection for disabilities associated with combat-related diseases or injuries even if medically undocumented at the time of service; and

WHEREAS, many veterans have incurred extreme hardships through undocumented acoustical trauma related to combat service or occupational duty; and

WHEREAS, hearing aids are considered a prosthetic device necessary for good quality of life; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we urge the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to amend the Schedule for Rating Disabilities to provide a minimum compensable evaluation for any service connected hearing loss for which a hearing aid is medically indicated.

[carlie]

Try this too.

http://veterans.senate.gov/upload/Audiology_Peake-reply.pdf

[cowgirl]

Also found on American Tinnitus Association page

H.R. 2506 - The Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act

On October 1, 2009, The House Veterans Affairs Committee - the Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act, at its legislative hearing. Sponsored by Representative Harry Teague of New Mexico, the bill would mandate hearing screening for all veterans deployed to combat, and increase tinnitus research by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Worldwide Online Tinnitus Survey

Coordinated by The University of Iowa

Individuals with tinnitus are invited to participate in this survey to help researchers better understand the complexities of tinnitus: https://survey.uiowa.edu/wsb.dll/127/iowatinnitus.htm