hearing loss Hearing loss rating 0%, but gave hearing aids

[TBar74]

I am new to all of this so I just have a quick question that maybe someone can explain to me. I went to the VA last year and received a 10% rating for tinnitus and )% rating but that it was service connected for hearing. After my 3rd hearing test I was given a set of hearing aids because they deemed that certain frequencies and speech I could not hear. I did an appeal for the 0% hearing loss cause makes no sense to me that there is enough to rate hearing aids but not within specs for a 10% rating. Does this make sense to anyone?

[broncovet]

It makes sense to VA whose goal is to payout as little as possible to Veterans, and squander as much money as possible on things like Billion dollar hospitals, that are smaller than the one they replaced.  

If you post your "hearing loss numbers" from your audiology report, I will (or someone else may) plug them into VA's hearing loss chart, and see if yours are correct.  The important number is the "Average" hearing loss.  

Taking the "average" hearing loss makes no sense, but its the way they do it.  I too, had hearing aids and a zero percent rating.  Mine is now up to 20 percent for hearing loss.  Interestingly, my hearing did not get that much worse  (it did get some worse, but not that much) ,but they still increased the rating..on appeal, of course.  The VA plugs in the numbers into a computer and gets a rating.  Post yours and we can check it to see if its correct.  To do this we need both the CNC hearing loss numbers, and the speech discrimination percentage.  Look on your audiology report.  

Edited January 22, 2018 by broncovet

[TBar74]

Left ear is 100% discrimination. DB loss puretone threshold 500hz is 45, 1000hz is 40, 2000hz is 55, 3000hz is 55 and 4000hz is 55. db loss of 51db in left ear.

Right ear is 100% discrimination. Db Loss puretone loss is 500hz is 30, 1000 is 35, 2000hz is 40, 3000hz is 35 and 4000hz is 40 db loss of 38 in right ear. 

Only thing is when I did my exit back in 1998 I was told a significant drop in left ear from when I did entrance exam. Lady then told me to get a hearing aide and sign up for benefits, of course then I was 23 and to cool for all that stuff. Well hear we are years later and now its a fight.

Have a buddy that's getting benefits and he said I should sign up for my right knee that from time to time will lock in place while standing or sitting for long times that sounds like something snaps and hurts like heck. Any clue on that also? Like I said I am new to all of it and reading some of the forums yesterday I decided I better sign up on here, looks like some people have more knowledge than the VA is trying to give to me. 

[broncovet]

The numbers you describe are probably a maximum of 10 percent sc for hearing loss, and more likely 0 percent.  The left ear sounds like its more than 40 average (you can add them up and divide yourself), and the right ear is less than 40 average.  

With 100 percent speech discrimination that will equate to about 0 percent, maybe 10 percent.  

However, most HOH people lose about 5 percent of their hearing per year, so expect your hearing to get worse over time, as mine did.  

Its probably still worth it for you to persue both your hearing loss claim, and your knee issue.  Remember, tho, it also sounds like the knee is mostly asymptomatic, so it will be a low rating, if anything.  Knees, however, like ears, tend to get worse when you get older.  

I really dont know anyone who had bad knees when they were young, and they completely healed up when they got old.  Its always the reverse...symptoms get worse over time.  Once service connected, your percentage will be based on symptoms..and if you have few/no symptoms, then expect 0 percent and you wont be disappointed.  However, if you cant bend your knees, have no range of motion and are in pain and cant walk and need a TKR, then this is something else.  

[Vync]

Because you are SC for hearing loss, each time you go in for a hearing test, be sure you compare the results against the rating criteria. If you get to a point where you qualify for the next higher % rating, just file for an increase. The VA will double-check everything and if you qualify they should bump up your rating.

The same goes for just about any other SC condition. You just merely have to have evidence showing you meet the higher tier. Sometimes these requests do not even need a C&P exam. Just keep in mind that some conditions, like hearing loss, don't tend to improve on their own. In those cases, once you get the higher % then you pretty much will have that rating permanently. However, other types of claims, such as asthma or perhaps MH claims, they might grant the increase, but claim your condition is expected to improve in the future. For those, they may want a C&P in the future to reevaluate. Eventually, if the condition does not improve over 5 or so years, they would consider it static and stop nagging you with future exams.