Don't know what to do with a Menieres claim

[Riplip]

So I am asking the Menieres gurus here about my situation. I have 70% bilat. hearing loss, tinnitus @ 10% and vestibular disorder rated at 30%(max). I have a diagnosis from a specialist that the VA sent me to outside of the VA stating I have bilat. Menieres. I think I want to claim the meneires because of how bad it is and I believe I could get more than the vestibular disorder and get me up to 100%. I'm nervous about making waves and opening up a can for the VA to somehow mess with my rating. Just wondering what others would do really just for thoughts. I don't think I have anything to lose but also I have no trust in the VA. Thank you

[Vync]

23 minutes ago, Riplip said:

The way he explained it to me was I have hearing loss 70% peripheral disorder 30%, tinnitus 10% and MH 50%. If I go for Meniere's which includes hearing, peripheral, and tinnitus then whatever I would get for Meniere's would replace those 3 rating? Meniere's has 3 ratings 30, 60, and 100. If I don't get the 100 rating then I would be losing money. Does that make sense or since my other 3 are more together then they would side on that instead even if it was SC? 

I don't see how Meniere's would cancel out the MH rating. The Meniere's criteria is completely different than MH.

Quote

6205   Meniere's syndrome (endolymphatic hydrops):
Hearing impairment with attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring more than once weekly, with or without tinnitus	100
Hearing impairment with attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring from one to four times a month, with or without tinnitus	60
Hearing impairment with vertigo less than once a month, with or without tinnitus	30
Note: Evaluate Meniere's syndrome either under these criteria or by separately evaluating vertigo (as a peripheral vestibular disorder), hearing impairment, and tinnitus, whichever method results in a higher overall evaluation. But do not combine an evaluation for hearing impairment, tinnitus, or vertigo with an evaluation under diagnostic code 6205.

I assume it works like this: Based on the wording in the trailing note, it appears to explain it as an either/or situation. Let's assume you do get SC for Meniere's. If it meets the 30% or 60% criteria while you maintain a 70% for peripheral vestibular disorder, they would simply consider the Meniere's under pyramiding and you won't get a percentage rating for it (because the peripheral 70% rating is higher). However, if your Meniere's does eventually meet the criteria for 100%, you would be increased to 100% based on it alone and the other listed ratings would not receive a percentage rating. It's either Meniere's or the others. If you can get your doc to opine that your Meniere's conditions are not expected to improve, then they would not likely try to treat it as temporary/expected to improve or bring you back for re-eval.

I am not too familiar with the hearing ratings other than tinnitus, but perhaps another member can offer their interpretation.

 

 

[Riplip]

Wow that is some outstanding information right there. Thank you Broncovet and Vync. The Meniere's would not change the MH rating at all just the other three. I need to find those documents online so I can print them out. Thank you

[Buck52]

I would go for the increase if an increase in warranted.

RipLip Quoted'' My DAV rep just answered me and he said If I claim Meniere's and they grant it at 60% then my three 70%,30% and 10% will be dropped resulting in a reduction.''

I Respectfully  disagree with the DAV

If your rated 70% hearing loss and 10% tinnitus   that have been service connected and given that rating  its good your life time and also beings hearing loss gets worse and you show in a proper VA Guideline Hearing test  & it had got worse  you can file for increase.

file for the increase   ...Hearing loss does not Improve..unless you have cochlear implants  but having that type of surgery will not cause a reduction in  your benefits

Now if your trying to get a 100% rating  with what you have now 70% 30% 10%     this is a combined rating for 80%you will need an additional increase or combined rating this is a combined rating at 80%  you will need an additional 80% to make the 100% rating   so if you only get a 60% increase and you get to keep what rating you have now   that will still not meet the 100% scheduler rating

you need an additional 80% with what you already have.  to make the 100% mark

 

[GBArmy]

Buck, I think that the DAV might be right because of how they rate Meniere's. You can get a 60% rating for M., or 30% or 10%. under d.c. 6205, OR, by combine up to 3 of theses separately: 1)tinnitus, 2) Hearing loss, and/or 3) pirepherial vestibular disorder. But, you can't do both.That yeilds a combined rating of  81,1 or 80%. If you substitute M at (hopefully 60%), even if you can add in tinnitus which I don't think you can, it still is less than what your rating is now.IMO.

[Buck52]

The VA will award you a 100 percent rating if your Meniere's disease is accompanied by attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait more than once a week. Attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait one to four times a month will garner a 60 percent rating.

They also go by theVA  Hearing protocol the same as if the hearing loss was caused by loud noise  they rate meniere disease the same way they rate for Bilateral noise induced hearing loss  the test are the same and conducted in the same way  also same for the Maryland CNC Speech discrimination test.

DEPENDING ON THE HEARING TEST NUMBERS HOW BAD YOUR HEARING IS?  AND THEY GO BY THE hearing criteria according to the numbers  and the Speech word test.  its a special rating table as to how they come about  giving a rating for hearing loss  ect,,ect,,,,

GB Army I don't see how they would do a reduction  if he goes for increase on his Hearing loss.???

[GBArmy]

Buck I understand your point if he is rated 100% for Meniere's, but if it is only rated at 60% you can't double dip right? (I didn't see M could be rated higher than 60%). But, 60% would be less than what he has currently, so what does the VA do rate it at 0% so he keeps his current higher rating by combing?