Question About Hearing Loss

[ktm rider]

New to the site but been lurking for a while. I served in the Navy from 88'-92'. I worked on the flight deck of a carrier the whole time. ( catapults). Last year the wife decided she had just about enough of repeating herself so she pretty much demanded I go to the VA.

Long story short, I was awarded 20%. 10% for Tinnitus and 10% for insomnia due to the tinnitus. ( according to ebenefits) . I have yet to receive my award packet though. However, I did not receive anything for my hearing loss and that was the reason for going in the first place.

The examiner claims that I had no hearing loss when i entered the navy and no hearing loss on my exit exam.

The problem with that is that I can not remember doing a exit hearing exam. I do remember that I was allowed an early out to attend college. This was a last minute decision apparently because i only had one day to complete the entire checkout procedure. the ship was pulling out the next day, And that was no easy task.

I also requested my medical records last year and did not see any exit hearing tests at all.

I am required to take a hearing test yearly at work and always fail it. .

I could have swore i once read that there were certain rates that were pretty much a lock for getting rated for hearing loss and Aviation Boatswains Mate was high on the list.

Edited November 15, 2013 by ktm rider

[TiredCoastie]

Also, I have heard that when a person appeals the decision, that person's compensation is frozen until the appeal process is complete. Which I am sure take just about forever. Is this true?

Your compensation doesn't get frozen but any additional claim will be mired in cement pending the clearance of the appeal through the process. Yup, takes years. BUT, any monetary compensation you receive for being 20% now should continue.

Tried Berta's link but it didn't work. Aviation Boatswainsmate is a no-brainer, though, for a rating that would be an automatic hearing loss presumption.

With 20+ years since you discharged, can see where the VA would be hedging their bets that you won't be able to come up with something solid that says your flight deck noise exposure isn't the biggest cause of your hearing loss now. Any hearing test results you can provide close to your discharge date would be some of your best proof besides your rating.

Have to say that someone didn't do you any favors as a relatively junior enlisted guy leaving the service by not getting you through a complete physical and checkout. Yeah, the carrier was deploying, and there was pressure in those days to move people out as fast as possible. Now you're living through the aftermath of someone else's failure in the chain of command. If any of us who've been there can get to the folks still on active duty and make sure they hit all the steps with an eye toward the future, maybe some of this will be prevented in the future.

Edited November 19, 2013 by TiredCoastie

[georgiapapa]

ktm rider,

I was in law enforcement for almost thirty years (1975-2004) and in Marine Corps four years (1966-1970). During my discharge from the Marine Corps, the only hearing test I received was a "whisper test" and they concluded my hearing was ok. I knew I had hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears when discharged but I didn't ask for more extensive testing. Around 1975 I had an employment physical exam including an extensive audio exam in a sound proof booth. The audiologist performing the exam concluded I had noise induced high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears.

Fast forward 35 years to 2010. My hearing loss was more severe so I started doing some research to determine if I could possibly have a claim with the VA for hearing loss and tinnitus. During my research of VA documents I discovered the VA concluded that "whisper tests" were not good indicators of noise induced hearing loss and should not be considered. I also discovered the hadit website which I believe is the most valuable resource available for veterans. I found a copy of my old audio exam from 1975 and also learned that the audiologist who performed the exam was still in practice and was now a doctor of audiology. I contacted the doctor's office and advised them that I needed their assistance in filing a hearing loss claim with the VA. A couple of weeks later, the doctor performed another audio exam on me and again concluded I had noise induced high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus. She compared the 2010 exam with the 1975 exam and stated my hearing loss was now more severe. When she questioned me about my exposure to loud noises, I advised her that I had been exposed to artillery gunfire and other weapons firing in the Marine Corps including daily exposure without hearing protection on a daily basis in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. I also advised her of my exposure to weapons firing in civilian law enforcement which was not on a daily basis but usually during training sessions or qualifications twice a year. I provided the doctor with copies of my military records showing my MOS as artillery and service in Vietnam. She stated she had no problem advising the VA in writing that "it was as likely as not" that my hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by my exposure to weapons firing during military service.

Following the format provided on hadit, I prepared a rough draft of an IMO letter for the doctor to use for my claim. She followed the format and provided me with the IMO letter for the VA. I submitted my claim along with the IMO and other evidence (military records, photos of me firing weapons without hearing protection, etc.) to the VA. In early 2011, the VA conducted a C & P audio exam and concluded I had noise induced high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears. The VA audiologist concluded that my tinnitus was service connected but any opinion of the etiology of my hearing loss would be speculative. Fortunately my private hearing doctor's IMO carried more weight with the VA rater and I was awarded 10% for hearing loss and 10% for tinnitus.

NOTE: The results of my 2010 audio exam was almost identical to your results so I believe you could get 10% for hearing loss if VA agrees it is service connected.

Georgiapapa...

[Navy04]

ktm,

The VA acknowledged that I my hearing was worse when I discharged in Feb then when I came in. The rated my hearing loss at 0%. From what I hear you have to be short of a Hearing Aid to get 10%.

[meghp0405]

ktm rider,

I can tell you right now why you were denied for hearing loss. In the 500, 1000 and 2000 you are required to have 55 or greater. Yours were lower than that. Contrary to what you were told in other responses, you do not meet the requirement for HL (VA Standards). In the military, you probably had a P2 or 3 profile. Then they will use the speech determination test to complete the formula on computing your disability. No doubt you have extreme high pitch hearing loss and probably have hearing aids already or they are in the works.

I'm not sure what you can appeal if you don't even meet the initial requirement. The best thing about all this is, the VA will provide the veteran with a set of hearing aids at no cost to the veteran.

Once you receive your rating decision, read why they denied your HL disability. Then, send a letter to the VARO (address will be at the top of the front page) and request a copy of your c/p exam. Once you receive your c/p results, review them, get an appointment with your doctor and seek out his/her assistance in the clarification and guidance for an notice of disagreement (NOD) If the doc will provide you information submit it with a VA FM 21-0958 (NOD) and send it back.

Like I said before, you don't even meet the requirement for SC for HL.

Good luck!

[ktm rider]

ktm rider,

I can tell you right now why you were denied for hearing loss. In the 500, 1000 and 2000 you are required to have 55 or greater. Yours were lower than that. Contrary to what you were told in other responses, you do not meet the requirement for HL (VA Standards). In the military, you probably had a P2 or 3 profile.

Like I said before, you don't even meet the requirement for SC for HL.

Good luck!

I got my packet back and it does say I have HL according to VA standards. But it also says my exit hearing test showed no hearing loss.

As I said before, I do NOT remember taking ANY hearing test upon exiting.

I requested all my medical records and they should be here in a few weeks.

Thanks for all the responses.

Edited November 21, 2013 by ktm rider

[boomer2]

If the VA says you have HL then you met the criteria for it and you should get a 0% rating. Below is 3.385 which is the criteria you have to meet to be SC'd for hearing loss.

For the purposes of applying the laws administered by VA, impaired hearing will be considered to be a disability when the auditory threshold in any of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 Hertz is 40 decibels or greater; or when the auditory thresholds for at least three of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 Hertz are 26 decibels or greater; or when speech recognition scores using the Maryland CNC Test are less than 94 percent.