Audiometric testing for tinnitus scheduled with new company

[Honest Abe]

I have submitted at least two Service Connected Disability claims to the Veterans Administration (VA) for hearing loss, beginning with my initial request in December 4, 2009. Each test was conducted by a company called QTC. Each test was conducted by an evaluator that ran each test at least three times. My last QTC evaluator swapped headsets three times, then told me she would be increasing the volume of the  audio "so I could hear better". She also stated that she had to report higher scores. Both QTC exams were "normal", rendering 0% compensation. My hearing tests at three outside ENT facilities stated "Moderate to Severe hearing loss". How many times is an evaluator required to run one complete audiology test?   

[GBArmy]

Honest Abe You have experienced what the VA does often regarding hearing tests for disability claims.  You could appeal to HLR; I doubt if it would do any good. Your best bet is to submit for BVA appeal. They will eval both the VA's claim and your private eval and hopefully find that your data supports higher rating. Before you do that however, be sure to compare the actual results to the rating schedule and see where your values end up. "Moderate to severe hearing loss" is top vague and you need to get the actuals. I also assume that you either don't have tinnitus or you have and have gotten that seperite disability. If that's not the case, and you do have it, that's a new claim. Most veterans who claim both and receive a 0% for hearing will most often receive the tinnitus disability that is rated at 10% IMHO.

[Carl the Engineer]

Abe,

Hearing is a tough one to get a rating for.  You need to be about deaf to get anything.  I got the 10% for tinnitus in the left ear and a 0% for bilateral hearing loss. 

With the TV in the bedroom at a mid volume level, I can hear it when I lie on my left side, but not when lying on my right side.  I have considerable less hearing in my left than my right, but not enough to trigger a rating.  I have tried for an increase 2 times.

Patients get confused when the examiner turns up the volume so you can here, but that is for the speech recognition test which has to do with not whether you can here the word, but whether you are having problems on how you hear a word.  Like when the examiner says "sat" and you think they said "at", not being able to discern the "s" sound, etc.

Anyway, if you look in the ratings reg, and plug your numbers in, you will see you really need to have a deficit to get a rating when it comes to hearing.

My speech recognition was 99%, no matter what my wife says,

Hamslice

[Dustoff1970]

Even though you may meet the criterial and qualifications for a VA service connection disability you may not be able to receive an important formal doctors nexus opinion or DBQ stating your disability is due to your service or another service connected condition because some doctors and their staffs are lazy, indifferent or hostile to vets receiving VA money.

Here is what has worked for me since 1987 to present day.  I have submitted copies of VA, Army, private medical records and other evidence with my numerous claims and appeals with almost 100 percent success and won those claims/appeals without a doctors nexus statement with only one recent exception where the paid for opinion was also successful.  I have been 100% P&T since 98 and now also with SMC-S.  

IF you contact me I can send you a detailed list of the medical and other evidence that has won my claims and appeals.  What has worked for me is no guarantee it will work for you.

It is a disservice IMHO for anyone to discourage a vet from filing a disability claim just because they cannot get some chicken*** doctor to fill out a DBQ or sign a nexus statement as the vet may still have the other medical and non medical evidence in their files or possession to win. 

I encourage vets to seek opinions of others and do their own research as I have done.

Some vets like to brag about their receiving a VA or private doctors nexus opinion free of charge or it was paid for by their insurance or others and I congratulate them on their good fortune.  I have learned and worked the hard way for my benefits and proud of it.

I learned many years ago to in my case to correctly assume the VARO will deny my claim with a BS statement like "NO EVIDENCE" and then I have to appeal to the BVA or higher U.S. CAVC court which I have done on my own successfully.  This has created jealously on part of some other vets.  Too Bad they can still get happy.

My comment is not legal advice as I am not a lawyer, paralegal or VSO representative.