Copy of Hearing Test records

[Ranmic]

So I am planning on filing a claim for an increase for hearing loss as I am currently at 0% but SC.  When I was initially tested a couple of years ago it was though a Doctor that the VA sent me to during my C&P process.  I asked the Doctor before I left if I could get a copy of the test/records he performed but he said it would be available through the VA.  In the past year or so I have not been able to locate a copy of those results even though they did yield me Service connected hearing loss.  Does anyone have any tips on how I can get a copy of those records so I can submit as evidence for my hearing loss increase request?  Hoping they will send me for another C&P as I was kinda surprised when they put me at 0....even though I was happy to see they at least service connected me.

Thank you in advance.

[Buck52]

if your service connected but not given a rating and you ask for increase  you need to get a private  IMO/.IME from state a licenses Audiologist and have him to use the VA Hearing test guidelines and use the Maryland CNC word test.

 you need to get the test that established your 0% service connection   you should be able to get the results of this test from release of medical records from your VAMC, REQUEST this test and when it was done  date if you have it  they can go back 7 years,

,,when you get the results of this test  take it to the private Audiologist and have him to compare these two test , his and the VA .

If you show a more loss of your hearing from this private Audiologist  then submit that as your evidence for increase.

 ALSO IF YOU HAVE A RINGING IN YOUR EARS/HEAD ? THAT IS KNOWN AS TINNITUS , YOU NEED TO TELL THE AUDIOLOGIST THAT YOU HAVE THAT.

  THE  VA WILL NOT ASK YOU   SO BE SURE LET THIS PRIVATE Dr diagnose you for tinnitus   that it  is likely as not caused by or related to your hearing loss you are now service connected  @ 0 % for  at the present.

be sure and tell them this ringing sounds in your head/ears are constant  and worse at bedtime.

you also can get short and to the point notarized statements from family and friends  (about 5 statements) as witness to your hard of hearing. &  ask to be rated to the fullest extent of the law at your present rating percentage.

They more than likely send you in for another C&P  but they could use the private Dr  if he goes by the VA Guidelines.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Buck52

[MarkInTexas]

Amen!  Only thing I would add is that if you are experiencing tinnitus, and you are hearing ringing/white noise/etc, during the examination, make sure that you tell them that.  Famous phrase from my own C&P when I was granted that condition was, “Veteran stated that he actually can hear the loud white noise sound as he was speaking to me.”

[GBArmy]

Ranmic A lot of good advise given to you on this thread. One thing to point out that you might have missed. If you are going to submit a claim for an increase in hearing, you NEED to also submit a (new) claim for tinnitus as a separate disability. If you don't, I wouldn't count on the VA examiner going the extra mile and doing it for you at the exam. It is a separate disability and carries a separate rating. Don't assume they are going to do it for you.

[brokensoldier244th]

28 minutes ago, GBArmy said:

Ranmic A lot of good advise given to you on this thread. One thing to point out that you might have missed. If you are going to submit a claim for an increase in hearing, you NEED to also submit a (new) claim for tinnitus as a separate disability. If you don't, I wouldn't count on the VA examiner going the extra mile and doing it for you at the exam. It is a separate disability and carries a separate rating. Don't assume they are going to do it for you.

Good point, and as a clarification, VSRs are required to list the contentions on your 21-526 as you list them. If you claim "hand condition", "hand sprain", etc etc for the same body part, we are required to list them that way, and evaluate each for an exam. Raters can consolidate those, which is why you may see some things you claimed as separate grouped together on your final narrative. When we (vsrs) enter your claim into the system, however, we have to evaluate each contention as a separate thing, and justify creating an exam for it. If you claim 'hand condition" and say " I had this thing happen to me while loading a truck, humping a ruck" whatever, and you got seen for it at some point thats enough for us to work with. If you list 10 things on your claim by throwing 4 variations of the same thing on there, some of it is probably going to be consolidated by a rater, or denied.

I get that we all want to be rated fairly for things but throwing every variation of something against a wall to see what sticks isn't the way to do that, and it results in we (the vsr justifying the exam) not being able to order an exam for it. Contentions are by body system in most cases, so as long as you say something about that system to point us in the right direction, if you have 3 different DX by different doctors, we NOTE that to the examiner. Tell me "knee" and I search for anything I can that is knee related and I can find something to justify the exam. Claim "Palletofemoral syndrome" and you don't have a diagnosis for that thing? You are probably going to get denied. I can't justify an exam if you are so specific that you paint me into a corner. 
 

Hearing and Tinnitus are examined for at the same time, and you don't even have to use the word "tinnitus". If you say "my ears ring" or "I have noise in my ears" thats enough for us to have the audiologist examine for both. 

Also, when  you list a condition on your application, in that column where it says " how was this condition caused by military service......" or whatever, PLEASE put something in there. It makes our job, and your claim, a lot easier to do if we can point specifically at 1. a thing is broken on me, and still affects me, 2. Military service caused it because......*you can be vague but at least put something- it makes searching through your records a lot easier*, and 3. I think they are connected because.....   Veterans can make lay statements about things, and the M21 says that if something is plausibly connected to service, based on your statement or a doctor/NP/whatever, then I can at least justify the exam for it. 

*note* I AM NOT A RATER- I have no idea what happens over there. Not my monkeys. My job is to try to at least get you examined for things to move your claim along, or indicate enough evidence in your records that a doctor can make an ACE (acceptable clinical determination). You don't have to be a doctor, or self diagnose- you can't legally do that anyway (M21 again), but at least tell me a body system and SOME kind of in service thing that happened, and make sure you say that it still affects you after service. That way I can plausibly say that they are related to each other if your doctor didn't come right out and say it. The examiner themselves will render an opinion on that, but If I can prod them along in the right direction based on what you say it helps. 

You need three things for us to justify exams for your claim. An inservice event, a claim that its still currently affecting you, and a statement (yours or a doctor) that it plausibly could be tied to your service. DON"T diagnose yourself and try to use WEB MD to name your conditions. If you claim "Tendinitis of my left hand" and we can't find a DX in your notes that say that, you don't have all three elements we need (Caluza). You can be vague about what is ailing you- if you get too specific we can only go by what YOU say, so you paint us into a corner in trying to build a case for you for exams to later justify service connection. 

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by brokensoldier244th

[Ranmic]

I really appreciate everyone's input on this.  Tons of good data.  Since I am currently rated for 10% (Tinnitus) and 0% hearing loss am I to understand all I need to do it get a new hearing test (and if showing hearing loss since last tested during my old C&P exam) and submit that as a requested "increase" for my current 0% rating or file an entirely new claim?  When I originally filed my claim it was for Tinnitus and Hearing.  Both got SC'd but Tinnitus got me 10%.

 

Quote

 

 

[brokensoldier244th]

Pretty much. It would be an increase since both are SC, even with a 0%. If it had been a denial then  you would file a supplemental.