Hearing eval. question for increase

[Riplip]

Ok I know the hearing thing has been knocked around a bunch. I have read many posts and still can't figure out my next move. I just had a hearing test yesterday at Mass Eye and Ear (the top dogs around here). All my hearing appts are done down there at the request of the VA because i've been diagnosed with bilateral Menieres. I am SC 20% for bilateral hearing loss. My test shows a word recognition of 16% in my right ear and 54% in my left ear. I have severe hearing loss in my left ear and profound in my right ear. I am going for a Cochlear Implant eval as soon as they make my appointment and then i'll schedule surgery and figure out all those other issues with healing and relearning how to hear in that ear.  My question is should i file for an increase now or wait until after surgery? The chart they gave me i really don't know how to read to put in the hearing test calculator. Thanks for any thoughts. 

[GBArmy]

I have a hearing disability also, but it is VERY difficult to figure out the chart. If you go to

https://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy   

shows how it works; good luck.

[Riplip]

I'll check that out. I'm still waiting for my copy of the notes. Thank you

[Riplip]

So i got some notes from my Mass Eye and Ear report from 12/17/18 and it reads my last audiogram (From the VA) on 6/22/18 states I have 73dB on my right ear and 63dB on my left with word recognition of 16% on my left and 56% on my right. I believe this is the audiogram they used for my last rating. I pulled up the rating chart and my right ear is Roman numeral XI and my left ear is VII. I looked at the rating table and that shows 60%. I received 20% for hearing loss. Do they use the rating table or throw an arbitrary number out there? 

[Buck52]

 Your pretty close with the 60%. hearing loss rating.

Your speech discrimination score will be a percentage of the words you understood during the test.  Look down the left-hand side of the Table VI below to see what row you should be on.

Your puretone threshold score will be the average decibel loss from the frequencies of 1000 Hertz, 2000 Hertz, 3000 Hertz, and 4000 Hertz.  Staying on the chart’s row you had based on the speech discrimination score, move to the right based on the average decibel loss in the puretone threshold test.  Do this for each ear.

You will then combine these two Roman numeral in Table VII (bottom of this page) to get the overall VA hearing loss rating.

An Example of a 60% VA Hearing Loss Disability Rating

Here’s an example to illustrate the point.  Let’s say your test results showed:

RIGHT SPEECH DISCRIMINATION: 44

RIGHT PURETONE THRESHOLD

Hertz1000200030004000

Decibel Loss30757075

Right Puretone Threshold Average: 63

 

LEFT SPEECH DISCRIMINATION: 48

LEFT PURETONE THRESHOLD

Hertz1000200030004000

Decibel Loss30807580

Left Puretone Threshold Average: 66

Using Table VI, the right ear would be designated as VIII based on a puretone threshold average of 63 and a speech discrimination score of 44.  However, you must then look to see if the scores meet the criteria for a higher numeric designation based on “exceptional patterns of hearing impairment.”  You get a higher rating if (a) or (b) is true:

(a) When the puretone threshold at each of the four specified frequencies (1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz) is 55 decibels or more, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI or Table VIa, whichever results in the higher numeral. Each ear will be evaluated separately.

(b) When the puretone threshold is 30 decibels or less at 1000 Hertz, and 70 decibels or more at 2000 Hertz, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI or Table VIA, whichever results in the higher numeral. That numeral will then be elevated to the next higher Roman numeral. Each ear will be evaluated separately.

In this case, the right ear does qualify for a higher numeric designation of IX since you would have hearing loss of 30 dB or less at 1000 Hertz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hertz.

Using Table VI , the left ear would be designated as VIII based on a puretone threshold average of 66 and a speech discrimination score of 48.  However, one must then look to see if the scores meet the criteria for a higher numeric designation.  In this case, the left ear does qualify for a higher numeric designation of IX since Appellant has hearing loss of 30 dB or less at 1000 Hertz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hertz.

These numeric designations for each ear are then placed on the grid in Table VII.

Impairment Rating Percentage Chart

Because both ears are designated as IX, either ear can be placed on either axis of the grid.  A IX and a IX equate to a 60% evaluation for hearing impairment.

 

So, is your head spinning yet?  It may be a good idea to have a VA-accredited attorney review your Ratings Decision and claim.  

you possibly could be rated higher than the 60%??

 

Edited April 22, 2019 by Buck52

[Riplip]

Buck52 you are right on. Just got back from my DAV meeting and the guy did a great job filling me in on everything and how I was reading it. We did the chart off the audiogram from Mass Eye and Ear and it was in the 60% range. He already filed for an increase for me. He said I'll most likely have to do another VA hearing test because they probably won't go off the private sector one. He then told me to make an appt. for my anxiety issue from this. He says it shouldn't be hard to understand that someone with this much hearing loss has a stress and anxiety issue. He also told me I need the notes to connect that to the hearing loss and vestibular issue. He took great time to explain everything so i could hear it an understand which i really appreciate. He said if i do go through with a cochlear implant then we will have to file for another increase after and he will work with me on the out of pay stuff too. I was pleasantly surprised with the rep. as opposed to the last one I dealt with. I already have the confirmations of the claims in my email. Hope I can get the c & p soon as well.  

[GBArmy]

This brings up another point we fail to promote. There are good plumbers and then there are bad plumbers, good lawyers and not so good lawyers, and good vso's and not so competent vso's. But when you get a good one and they do a great job for you, I mean,  they really know their stuff, spread the word. Tell you buddies; I have a great one and I promote  veterans to reach out to her all the time. Disability claims is a tricky path to go on, especially when you have never done it before. Give them a shout out when they do good by you. And one more thing, ever wonder why some vso's are really back logged, and other are not. More likely than not I'm betting on the busy one; they are taking the time to find every angle they can for you, not just moving paper.