Audiological C&P examination

[tomault]

On an Audiological C&P exam the VA requires a Maryland CNC test to be completed. This presents a different speech recognition test than just an ordinary hearing loss exam. The speech recognition part of the test is when, over the head phones, the veteran is presented with simple compound words that they are supposed to repeat to the examiner, which in turn measures their recognition of speech. First, does guessing at the words complete the requirement of speech recognition even though the words the veteran iterates are not the same as the compound words spoken to him over the head phones? Second, is it legal, proper, morally right for the technician to type out these compound words and tape them in front of the veteran, telling him that these are the words you will hear in the order that you will hear them. Just read the words back to me after you hear them in your headphones, regardless whether you understand them or recognize them? 

I thought this test was supposed to be completely done without prompting? Is this or is this not wrong on the examiners part? 

Thank you for your response, I look forward to hearing back from you.

Tom Ault

[GBArmy]

tomault Welcome to Hadit. If this happened to you I would request a new re-exam saying that that the first one was improper. Mention the presentation of the words that you were supposed to repeat and say it was not proper. I'm betting that your exam either finds you don't have a hearing problem, or, the examiner is making the results less favorable to you. Do it right away as it is improper and don't wait for the results of the hearing before you do. You were set-up and the examiner should be called out. If you can't get a re-exam, post the response here.

[Buck52]

 I agree with broncovet   but  I was meaning the Veteran knows for sure he has a secondary claim he can file ,  like I have PTSD  AND Sleep Apnea   I can file a sleep apnea claim secondary to my PTSD and the medications I take   this would be a secondary claim.   but since I am service connected at 100%  with another 70% seperate service connected   and get the SMC S  am not going to file for the sleep apnea....VA gave me a C-Pap machine to use  so I use it every night  and  that's good enough for me.

and Most of the time a VA ENT will do the testing  if its a C&P Exam, but VA Audiologist will do the test for normal hearing test.

   yes its true they use the Maryland CNC Word discriminations,  but not show the Veterans the words before the test begins he might show the words after the test.?  they never showed me the words. before the test or after.

The VA Requirements for hearing test are very stern  you will need to be darn near deaf before you get a rating  and most of the time  a Veteran is denied a rating and is 0% service connected....most of the time......> but most of the time  most always are denied the first time around.

The hearing test from the VA is very complex and they use the  % of hearing loss in a way that the Veterans hearing ls a lot worse than they say it is. due to the high # they use at testing.   normally when they start the test  they turn up the volume so a veteran can hear their instructions  and start the testing a 1000 db's  and go up all the way from 1000...to 5000 db's    if they do not readjust the volume control   then the veteran hearing test will be inaccurate. (obviously)

What you can do is go see a private Audiologist  specialized in this field with state license and certified  and ask they  use the VA Guidelines during the testing  and use the Maryland CNC   Word test , bone air conduction test  the whole 9 yards.

  Veterans can request this Maryland CNC Word discriminations test from the VA Hearing clinic  or go see the the radiology Dept window where you request your X=RAYS  on CD ect,,ect,, tell them you want a CD DISK of the VA criteria for the VA Maryland CNC word test,for hearing loss testing..it maybe a few bucks or they may just give it to you, tell them you need it for your private STATE LICENSES Audiologist  to use to test your hearing.

AND YOU CAN SUBMIT THIS TEST WITH YOUR CLAIM  SIMPLY LET THEM KNOW YOU WANT THEM TO LOOK AT YOUR PRIVATE TEST ALSO AND COMPARE THIS PRIVATE TEST TO THE VA TEST.....USE A SPECIALIST FOR THIS HEARING TEST  BECAUSE THE VA Will normally use the specialist test or medical opinion over a VA Audiologist. 

I HAD TO DO THIS WHEN I Filed a hearing loss claim back in 1998.  AT A DRO HEARING AT MY R.O.  (DRO) ( Decision review officer) which has the authorization to make a decision on the spot.

THE DRO USED MY PRIVATE TEST  which they had used the VA HEARING LOSS CRITERIA LISTED IN THE CFR's and the Maryland CNC WORD TEST... AND IT SHOWED MY HEARING WAS A LOT WORSE THAN WHAT THE VA ENT Doc mention it was in his test.  a lot worse.

I would definitely use a private specialist to test my hearing  and as long as they use the VA Criteria and hearing loss guidelines  they will use this test for rating purposes.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Buck52

[Buck52]

One more thing  if you had a VA Audiologist show you the words from a ''Maryland'' word test before the test...this is a Idiot audiologist.

So ask for another audiologist to test your hearing.

During the Maryland CNC Word testing

you repeat what you hear  or what you think you hear...if you hear the word hog and you say dog  just go on to the next word.   troy  and you think he said boy...ect,,,ect,,,just answer it one time as to what you think the word is or sounds like to you.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Buck52