Citation Nr: 18144871
Decision Date: 10/25/18	Archive Date: 10/25/18

DOCKET NO. 15-27 145
DATE:	October 25, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from December 1982 to December 1985.
This matter is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal of a January 2015 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).  In October 2018, the Veteran appeared at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge.  
At his recent hearing, the Veteran asserted that his hearing loss disability has increased in severity since he was last examined by VA.  The Veteran is entitled to a new VA examination where there is evidence that the condition has worsened since the last examination.  38 C.F.R. § 3.327 ; Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400 (1997).  The Veteran should be provided an opportunity to report for a VA examination to ascertain the current severity and manifestations of his bilateral hearing loss disability.
Updated treatment records should be sought on remand.  
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1.  Ask the Veteran to identify all outstanding treatment records relevant to his bilateral hearing loss claim.  All identified VA records should be added to the claims file.  All other properly identified records should be obtained if the necessary authorization to obtain the records is provided by the Veteran.  If any records are not available, or the Veteran identifies sources of treatment but does not provide authorization to obtain records, appropriate action should be taken (see 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c)-(e)), to include notifying the Veteran of the unavailability of the records.
2.  After records development is completed, schedule the Veteran for a VA hearing loss examination to determine the current symptoms, level of severity, and functional impairment associated with his bilateral hearing loss.  All necessary tests should be performed and the results reported.
 
Nathan Kroes
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	Russell P. Veldenz, Counsel