. Nonetheless, additional services like hearing aids and service animals may supplement where monthly disability income is not sufficient. The average decibel loss is to be translated into percentage of compensable hearing loss of each ear according to the attached table. Explain the rationale. yet assertive representation for our clients. background-color: #2C2C32 !important; The VA uses the results to determine if your hearing loss qualifies for disability and, if so, the rate of the severity of your condition. The following are a list of questions asked at a C&P exam for Tinnitus. Youve lost the use of one foot, and have had one leg amputated so close to the hip that you can't wear a prosthesis. Heres a list of common VA secondary conditions to Hearing Loss and Tinnitus: What Should I Expect at a VA C&P Exam for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus? The amendment is necessary to implement a statutory provision of the Veterans Benefits Act of 2002, which will now factor in nonservice-connected hearing loss of one ear when hearing loss in the other ear is service connected and hearing loss manifests to a specified degree. Washington, D.C.: 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C 20006 Youve lost the use of one elbow, and have had one arm amputated so close to the shoulder that you cant wear a prosthesis. .wpdt-c .wpDataTablesWrapper table.wpDataTable thead th.sorting:after, Contact Us Youve lost the use of one foot and the use of one arm at the shoulder. If Tinnitus (e.g., the ringing sound in the ear) is present along with the hearing loss, the minimum rating is 10%.. I am a veteran who served in Vietnam (1965/66). You have total blindness with only the ability to perceive light in the other eye, and have deafness in both ears (rated as 30% or more disabling). Pittsburgh, PA: 201 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235 For this reason, many veterans seek to receive VA disability for hearing loss. (a) An examination for hearing im-pairment for VA purposes must be con-ducted by a state-licensed audiologist and must include a controlled speech discrimination test (Maryland CNC) and a puretone audiometry test. VII Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Business Development Representatives having gone through our programs. The VA determines your disability rating after a medical review of the condition and the compensation levels are subject to change. Furthermore, service animals have been successful in assisting veterans with a variety of medical conditions, including hearing loss. div.dt-button-collection button.dt-button.active:not(.disabled) { Numeric Designation of Hearing Impairment Based on Puretone Threshold Average and Speech Discrimination, 15 Best States For Military Retirees And Veterans, Notice of Disagreement (NOD) VA Form 21-0958, Good Conduct Medal & Ribbon Explained For All 5 Branches, Sea Service Ribbon: All 5 Military Branches Explained, Overseas Service Ribbon Explained For All 6 Military Branches. B. What is the average VA compensation for hearing loss? Since 2016, VA Claims Insider has helped thousands of Veterans just like you get the VA rating and compensation they deserve in less time. 0 A. To measure the severity, the VA takes the results of a veterans puretone threshold test (see below) and averages it to each ear. The VA rates Tinnitus under CFR Title 38, Part 4, Schedule for Rating Disabilities, Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260, Tinnitus, Recurrent. Note that there is no objective test to measure and diagnose Tinnitus. Youve had one foot and one elbow amputated. VA special monthly compensation (SMC) is a higher rate of compensation that we pay to Veterans as well as their spouses, surviving spouses, and parents with certain needs or disabilities. While we still have our home base in Florida, Each of these veterans benefits have different eligibility criteria so be What is Hearing Loss and Tinnitus in Veterans? C. Did Hearing Loss exists prior to service? What are the Puretone Thresholds in Decibels (Air Condition)? Both your MOS (or . IX In this post, well explore how to get a VA Rating for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, including the 3 best ways to prove your Hearing Loss and Tinnitus was due to your military service. is a chart that is used to determine this. You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned, 9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claim, Conductive (involves outer or middle ear), Difficulty understanding words, especially with background noise, Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly, and loudly, Turning up the volume of the television, radio, or mobile device, #1. Box 449, Deland, FL 32721, Orlando, FL: 605 E. Robinson Street Suite 635, Orlando, FL 32801 Youve physically lost the other eye, and have deafness in both ears (rated as 10% or 20% disabling). In certain situations, patients may only be able to prove the hearing impairment is service-connected in only one ear. (a) An examination for hearing impairment for VA purposes must be conducted by a state-licensed audiologist and must include a controlled speech discrimination test (Maryland CNC) and a puretone audiometry test. You have hearing loss in both ears (with at least one ears deafness caused by military service) thats rated as 60% or more disabling, and you have blindness in both eyes. ***The veteran may have a significant change in hearing threshold in service, but it does not meet the criteria to be considered a disability for VA purposes. For VA purposes, the diagnosis of hearing impairment is based upon testing at frequency ranges of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 Hz. Example (Veteran with no children): If you were a Veteran with a dependent spouse (no dependent parents or children), and you had an SMC-M designation, your monthly basic rate would be $5,175.70each month. B. If your military service aggravated the condition beyond its natural progression, you can get Hearing Loss service connected and rated based on aggravation of a pre-service disability. #8. Well, getting a service connected Hearing Loss VA Rating is TOUGH, especially if youve been out of the military for longer than 12 months. Step 4: The VA determines a percentage evaluation for hearing impairment by combining the Roman numeral designation for each ear based on test results. Step #1: First, a VA C&P exam for Hearing Loss must be conducted by a state-licensed audiologist and must include (#1) A controlled speech discrimination test (Maryland CNC) AND (#2) A puretone audiometry test without the use of hearing aids. 70 60 Go to the SMC ratethat appliesto you. Tinnitus is also a VA disability and can be rated at 10%. . I Youve had one elbow amputated, and have had one leg amputated so close to the hip that you cant wear a prosthesis. Chicago, IL: 332 S. Michigan Avenue, Floors 8 and 9, Chicago, IL 60604 Your Hearing Loss and Tinnitus was caused or made worse by your active-duty military service. Brian isalso the CEOofMilitary Disability Made Easy, which is the worlds largest free searchable database for all things related to DoD disability and VA disability claims and has served more than 4,600,000 military members and veterans since its founding in 2013. As a result, hearing loss can start to negatively alter other functions of your lifestyle which makes finding treatment important. 60 .wpDataTables .wdt-checkbox-filter.btn:hover, Add these amounts to your basic rate to get your total monthly payment amount. You have hearing loss in both ears (with at least one ears deafness caused by military service) thats rated as 40% or more disabling, and you have blindness in both eyes with only the ability to perceive light, You have total deafness in one ear as well as blindness in both eyes with only the ability to perceive light. Military personnel confronts additional dangers and concerns when it comes to hearing loss. We are Veterans helping Veterans!Become an Elite Member and work with our Veteran Coaches to get the rating you deserve! VA Ratings for Hearing Loss range from 0 percent to 100 percent, with breaks at 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, and 90 percent although the average VA rating for Hearing . Measurements will be reported at the frequencies of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 Hz. Additionally, those that served after September 11 are 4x more likely to have hearing loss compared to civilian counterparts. } Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. There are several signs and symptoms attributed to hearing loss: Hearing loss is detrimental enough that it can cause victims to want to withdraw from social settings and conversations to avoid the inconvenience. 50 Hearing problemsincluding tinnitus, which is a perceived ringing or other type of noise in the earsare by far the most prevalent service-connected disability among American Veterans. Youve lost the use of one foot, and have had one arm amputated so close to the shoulder that you can't wear a prosthesis, Youve lost the use of one hand, and have had one leg amputated so close to the hip that you can't wear a prosthesis. .wpdt-bc-052E66 { background-color: #052E66 !important;} The table, shown below, is utilized with the following method: Hearing Loss Rating Chart Hearing Loss is objective, meaning it can be detected by an Audiologist during an Audiogram (Hearing Test) whereas Tinnitus is typically subjective, meaning it cant be discovered by a test. You have total blindness with only the ability to perceive light in the other eye, and have had one foot amputated. Tinnitus is when veterans experience ringing in one or both ears. Once a Roman numeral is assigned to each ear, the appropriate VA disability for Hearing Loss can be found using Table #2 below, which we call the VA Hearing Loss Compensation Table. In one eye, and have physically lost the other eye. To file a VA hearing loss compensation claim, a military veteran needs to fill out VA Form 21-526, Veterans Application for Compensation and/or Pension, or apply online using VONAPP. The good news is if youre already service connected for Tinnitus under DC 6260, youve been grandfathered-in and wont be re-evaluated under the new disability rating system. .wpdt-c .wpDataTablesWrapper table.wpDataTable thead th, we represent clients nationwide. 20 You have total blindness with only the ability to perceive light in the other eye, and have had one hand amputated, You have total blindness with the only ability to perceive light in the other eye, and have lost the use of one hand. Here are some frequently asked questions about VA disability for hearing loss: Service members are required to meet with a VA audiologist in order to diagnose a medical condition. #12. A 30% vertigo and 10% tinnitus rating will earn you $731.86 a month. Cincinnati, OH: 300 E Business Way, Suite 200, Summit Woods Corporate Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45241 203, San Jose, CA 95134 If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! . Youve had one foot amputated, and have lost the use of the other knee. Feel free to complete this free case evaluation on our website or review our ebook The Road to VA Compensation Benefits below. Instructions: Measure and record puretone threshold values in decibels at the indicated frequencies (air conduction). The puretone threshold average requires the decibel levels of each of the required frequencies (1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, and 4,000 Hz) be recorded for the test to be valid for determination of a hearing impairment. If there is no HL in the 500-4,000 Hz range, but there is HL above 4,000 Hz, check this box. This means you do NOT currently have the VA disability rating and compensation YOU deserve, and you could be missing out on thousands of dollars of tax-free compensation and benefits each month. Note A: If a speech discrimination test was not performed by an audiologist, then a Roman numeral is assigned toeach earbased on Table #3 above. The veterans hearing loss was documented as NORMAL at separation. All Rights Reserved. You have deafness in both ears (rated as 30% or more disabling). #3. 20 0 Note C: If Hearing Loss is service-connected in only one ear, in order to determine the percentage evaluation from Table 3, the ear with either perfect hearing or (non-service connected Hearing Loss) will be assigned the Roman numeral I. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. You have total blindness without the ability to perceive light in the other eye, and have deafness in both ears (rated as 10% or 20% disabling). #1. 10 /* th font color */ Find the dependent status in the left column that best describes you. E. Less likely than not (less that 50% probability the veterans Tinnitus was caused by or the result of military noise exposure. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. *The puretone threshold at 500 Hz is not used in determining the evaluation but is used in determining whether a ratable hearing loss exists. Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you've earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family memberlike health care, disability, education, and more. However, veterans can submit additional evidence that helps support their claim that they are warranted a higher rating. The VA doesn't care about the whole range of your hearing loss when it rates your condition. San Jose, CA: 2880 Zanker Road, Ste. Not only is Hearing Loss one of the hardest conditions to get service connected, its also one of most difficult conditions to get rated above 0 percent. For hearing loss ratings, the monthly compensation levels as of 2020 are as follows: 0% disability rating: $0.00 per month 10% disability rating: $142.29 per month 20% disability rating: $281.27 per month 30% disability rating: $435.69 per month 40% disability rating: $627.61 per month 50% disability rating: $893.43 per month Step 5: After hearing loss is determined through the examination, the veteran must link the hearing impairment to a service connection. Youve had one hand and one foot amputated. You have deafness in both (rated as 30% or more disabling), Youve lost the use of one foot (rated as 50% or more disabling). Diagnostic Code 6100: Hearing Loss. 20 .wdt-frontend-modal .btn:not(.dropdown-toggle).btn:hover, /* th border color */ The higher percentage the patient receives, the higher likelihood of receiving approval for a disability claim and therefore more compensation. Hearing loss can significantly alter your life, negatively impacting your quality of life and daily functioning. .wpdt-c .wpDataTablesWrapper table.wpDataTable thead th.sorting_desc, After a series of tests are conducted, the VA can help determine if you are entitled to disability benefits. Currently, the Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Disability Benefits Questionnaire is for Internal Use Only, and will be completed electronically by the C&P examiner at your exam. Indicate the percentage (%) score of the RIGHT ear and LEFT ear. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! Additionally, many Veterans who score normally on hearing tests have trouble understanding speech. Youve had one foot amputated, and have had one arm amputated so close to the shoulder that you can't wear a prosthesis, Youve had one hand amputated, and have had one leg amputated so close to the hip that you can't wear a prosthesis. Youve lost the use of one elbow and one knee. 20 At a rating of 0 percent, you do not receive monthly compensation, but you might be eligible for other benefits from VA, such as health care. Hearing loss generally occurs when the ears are exposed to loud machinery or explosions over a long duration of time.
