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Hearing Loss Ratings Help

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Teac

Question

I am already service connected for hearing loss at 0%, plus 10% for tinnitis.

Newest hearing test in Feb shows the following:

Right ear

Freq DB

250 10

500 10

1000 20

1500 45

2000 55

3000 50

4000 70

6000 55

8000 55

Left ear

250 10

500 15

1000 35

1500 30

2000 25

3000 40

4000 65

6000 45

8000 50

Speech recognition right 70% speech at left 92%

I understand for va purposes their is a disability when the threshold in of the frequencies of 500, 1,000

2,000 3,000, 4,000 hettz is 40 decibels or greater or when the threshold for at least three of these frequiencies are 25 decibels or greater or when speech recognition scores are less than 94 percent.

Based on the numbers above I have tried to determine what my rating for hearing loss should be but I find the rules very confusing....

I kown I have a hearing loss just based on the numbers and speech but what I don't know if it is compensatable.. 0% was granted in 2005 based on 2004 testing, this recent test is Feb 2012.

Can any one figure this out for me, or tell me how to figure it out....

thanks..

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don't put that equipment on ebay if the VA provided it! If I remember correctly it is still their property!

It is important that you are SC for hearing loss. It is unfortunately likely that it will get worse with age and the rating will increase, mine has over 34 years.

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I went through the same thing, Teac. Yes. Its ridiculousness. I cant even watch TV without captioning, so how can I understand others? I was at zero percent for hearing loss and finally got 10%.

There is an extra schedular rating for hearing loss. I think if you have high speech discrimination, you may qualify. I think its unusual to have a vastly different speech discrimination, with one at 70% another at 90%. It may mean you need an IMO...that is, its pretty easy to get another hearing test. If you got another hearing test (private) and their speech discrimination or decibel rating was significantly different, you could qualify.

You are "almost" 10 percent and it starts jumping up pretty quickly. You are "on the cusp".

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I agree..dont put that equipment on ebay! If its not working go back to your audiologist and tell them to adjust it. At my VAMC they do "walk in" adjustments to hearing aids. Got mine yesterday, in fact. Only waited about 15 minutes.

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Teac

I feel your pain brother... My last hearing test my puretone levels were an average of 66 right ear and 64 left ear. The key in MHO is the speech disc test if you are above 82 on it it is hard to get a compensable rating for hearing. I have not done any numbers to try and come up with the magic number. I believe that table VI A is also important for us who are on the cusp as bronco put it. They use table VIA if there is a discrepancy between your puretone threshold averages and the speech disc test. Basicly, they drop the disc test and use the puretone scores alone. Now here is the key each one of the scores or decibel levels have to be at 55 or over..example 1000 = 55, 2000 = 65, 3000=75, and 4000=80. let's say that both ears are the same. This is considered an exceptional pattern of hearing loss. Now since the average of these is 68.75 rounded to 69. (nice #) if you look at table VIA you would have a roman numeral V for both ears. Now when you convert that to table VII both V's would get you a 20% rating and it says each ear to be rated separately. Also, if you go to a private ENT they must do the test just like the VA does it. The VA will not accept a hearing test from a private ENT that is completed on their guide lines. i have talked to several private ENT's about this and for some reason they don't want to do a VA hearing test. Of course I didn't volunteer to pay for it either. There is also a new speech disc. test being used by a lot of private ENT's that has background noise mixed in with it. I asked the VA about it and was told the VA doesn't conside it reliable. Yea! right there would be a ton of rating increases happening.

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don't put that equipment on ebay if the VA provided it! If I remember correctly it is still their property!

It is important that you are SC for hearing loss. It is unfortunately likely that it will get worse with age and the rating will increase, mine has over 34 years.

Yes technically it is va property .. in reality they don't want it back... I already tried... once it is issued they cannot issue it to another veteran. I also tried to return a 3 month old 4 wheel rascal scooter, because it was too big for inside..... they would not take it back but issued me a new power chair.. I gave the rascal to a veteran who could not get one, In 2007 before I left Georgia, I also gave away a power chair to another veteran......I get a new wheel chair lift every time I get a new vehicle, va will not transfer it to another vehicle so I just give then away when I get a new vehicle.....

If I get rid of them no w they may help someone.. if I wait much longer they are too old to even get them programed......

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I agree..dont put that equipment on ebay! If its not working go back to your audiologist and tell them to adjust it. At my VAMC they do "walk in" adjustments to hearing aids. Got mine yesterday, in fact. Only waited about 15 minutes.

Been there done that, fact is they just are not adaquate or the audiologist doesn't really know what he is doing, he has to call Phonak for help programing them every time I go in.. honestly it just isn't worth the trouble anymore......I crank up the tv.. close the door, and to hell with anyone else.......

I can't even understand my owm music anymore,,, that really hurts... started selling my 2000 plus record collection on ebay, at least someone else can enjoy them. Next thing to go will be my high dollar stereo system, and my gibson Guitar and amp... My Teac Real to real sold for $550... to some guy in Houston last week.....Shameful fact is I don't need the money either... I am getting to the point that it is hard to care about anything anymore.....

Edited by Teac
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