Hearing

[KevinH]

I have a hearing rating of 80% (disability)

My first CP resulted in 0%

My 2nd test resulted in 80%

On a visit to the VA a year later for a soar throat, ear, nos and thriat Doc, asked me to take a quick informal hearing test, only the frequency part. That results seems to have mimicked the first tests  

Now he has requested a reevaluation of my hear ( not a listed as a C&P hearing) 

I have my letter stating over a year ago that my disability is 90% (100% unemployablity) is total and funal with no additional test required. (Im 69 years old) 

Question should I agree to this test or refuse it? Am I requierd to take is a it is badicly an informal test, and if any different results then my rating test eould zu then be required to take a new formal C&P hearing? 

[Carl the Engineer]

How is your VA doctor supposed to treat you if you do not do the tests he requires to do his evaluation.  I think sometimes we overthink things.  

I don't believe the VA has a team of people going over our records to see if we have gone to the doctor since our last C&P and rating looking for things to downgrade or deny.  

Now, when you do claim an increase to a rated condition, I do believe the VA is going to look at your medical records to see if the increase is justified.

The simple answer would be to ask the doctor why he wants the test and what he is looking for.  He may be thinking one or more of you abilities have degraded and he wants to know what is attributing to it.  When my dad started with his Parkinson's, they tested him for a lot of things to rule out stuff.

Which is more important to you, your health or fearing a conspiracy from the VA?

I pick my health, and I will worry about the VA spies (those bastards) later,

Hamslice

 

[broncovet]

I agree with Hamslice.  The doctor saying he will "re evaluate" is not the same as saying you are getting a VA benefit re evaluation exam.  

The doctor is "treating" your symptoms.  Trying to get you better. 

The VA is evaluating your disability percentages, trying to get you worse.  

The VA is prohibited from reducing your disability percentage unless you have "actual improvement".   I doubt that your hearing has gotten better.   But you would be the best one to answer that.  

Instead of worrying about a VA reduction for hearing loss in a 70 year old hard of hearing Vet, you should focus your worry on something more realistic, such as your house getting sucked up by a sinkhole, or getting struck by lightening.  Or, maybe, getting shot by a shooter next time you go to a pizza parlor, or visit a school.  If you, by chance, do encounter an armed shooter, I hope one or more of your friends took the CCW classes, and is packing their weapon so they can shoot back.  It would be a tragedy if a crazed shooter was the only one armed.  We certainly need more citizens with weapons so that , when people go crazy and start shooting, they can get shot back at quickly.  The sooner the better. The crazy shooters dont seem to be breaking into Marine Corp or Army Infantry barracks, at least, not without someone shooting back.  They prefer unarmed children to shoot at, who dont shoot back.  This needs to change, by having more armed citizens, not fewer armed citizens.  

    I do agree, the discrepency between tests is troubling, but it sounds like you have explained that with your tinnitus, and it does not sound like you have any "actual improvement" in hearing loss since your rating.  

Edited August 13, 2018 by broncovet

[Richard1954]

I also can tell you that the VA plays games when it comes to your C/P  hearing test. In my case I had a hearing test that clearly shows my right ear should be service connected for 10%.. When I request an increase from 0 to 10% the va required me to do another C&P exam within  6 weeks of the last test...  The examiner doing the c&P increased the DB's during the word test,,, and I was denied a n increase rating...( it is on appeal after receiving two more test one a private test, and one from fort Hood..). When I asked the girl at the VA why the two va test were conducted with different standards and she said the va always raises the DB's when doing a c/p  exam... My appeal argues that all VA hearing test regardless of why they were required should be administered  the same exact way.

[Buck52]

CFR 4.85 

(d) “Puretone threshold average,” as used in Tables VI and VIa, is the sum of the puretone thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hertz, divided by four. This average is used in all cases (including those in §4.86) to determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from Table VI or VIa.

(e) Table VII, “Percentage Evaluations for Hearing Impairment,” is used to determine the percentage evaluation by combining the Roman numeral designations for hearing impairment of each ear. The horizontal rows represent the ear having the better hearing and the vertical columns the ear having the poorer hearing. The percentage evaluation is located at the point where the row and column intersect.

(f) If impaired hearing is service-connected in only one ear, in order to determine the percentage evaluation from Table VII, the non-service-connected ear will be assigned a Roman Numeral designation for hearing impairment of I, subject to the provisions of §3.383 of this chapter.

(g) When evaluating any claim for impaired hearing, refer to §3.350 of this chapter to determine whether the veteran may be entitled to special monthly compensation due either to deafness, or to deafness in combination with other specified disabilities.

They test each ear separate  and both and use the puretone thresholds at 1000.../2000/ ...3000/...4000 and divided them by 4 to come up a percentage  so I would think the higher the puretone threshold need to be when the veteran can hear  tones , then that's the stopping point for his hearing ability although the VA Conducts different ways and different hearing test  to included the Maryland CNC Word test for rating purpose and bone  induction pressure test

[Carl the Engineer]

I am no fan of the hearing tests.  My initial test with the VA, for which I was service connected for hearing loss in both ears at 0% and one ear 10% for tinnitus, the examiner told me "don't forget me when you get your hearing aids".  So, there's that.

In a test two years ago for a "denied" increase, when in the chamber, I heard a lot of air coming in or out or whatever, and when I said something about it he just turned up the volume.  So not sure that they can an do manipulate the volume to help the scoring. 

My left ear is definitely worse than my right ear, but the VA says not enough for comp.

My word recognition was 100% at my last C&P, even though sometimes I can not hear my wife when she talks to me, especially during football games on TV.  

Just sayin,

Hamslice